Belgian King admits colonial wrongs, but declines to apologize
Belgian King Philippe has said that his country’s colonial past in the Congo was based on racism, as the monarch tried to undo his predecessors’ misdeeds in the 20th century.
In Kinshasa for the first time since ascending to the throne, King Philippe said his country takes full responsibility for the past misdeeds, but he did not apologise for the mistakes which have been documented, including ethnic cleansing, plunder and torture.
He said, however, that the common history of the two countries should not be forgotten, “in order to pass on to the new generation a peaceful memory”.
He said the colonial regime was based on “exploitation, domination, unequal relations, discrimination and racism.”
The Belgian sovereign reiterated his “sincere regrets for the wounds of the past.”
The Belgian king's speech was poignant, say some Congolese, but others argue that King Philippe’s “regrets” are not enough. They said “Belgium should have apologised”, especially for the executions during the time of King Leopold II who had made the Congo his private property from 1885 to 1908, before the colony was handed over to Belgium.
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