Belgian King Philippe begins visit to DR Congo

Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on Tuesday begin a seven-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the invitation of President Félix Tshisekedi.

It is King Philippe’s first visit to country since ascending to the throne in 2013.

The royals will be accompanied by Belgian government ministers.

They will visit the capital, Kinshasa, and the cities of Lubumbashi and Bukavu.

The trip was initially scheduled for March 2022, but was cancelled because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In June 2020, King Philippe expressed his "deepest regrets" to the Democratic Republic of Congo for his country's colonial abuses.

It was the first time a Belgian monarch had formally expressed remorse for what happened during the country's colonial rule.

Belgium controlled the central African country from the 19th Century until it won its independence in 1960. Millions of Africans died during the bloody colonial rule.

Presidential adviser Christian Bushiri Ongala told the BBC that "the damage was done, it was deep, nothing can compensate for human lives".

"There were millions of people savagely killed under the duress of colonisation, no billion dollars can compensate for human lives. We are in a logic of recognition, in a logic of normal relations, not in a logic of claiming compensation," he said.

"So, if the King has recognised this, it is a step in the right direction, and we must value the population that was humiliated during this period of colonisation. And do what is expected, that is a co-operation between two civilised countries, between two responsible governments. If we go in this direction, I believe that it can somewhat compensate for the misdeeds of colonisation.”

This article originally appeared in BBC News

Photo: EPA