King Philippe of Belgium expressed regret for his country’s actions in Congo during colonization.
The king sent a letter to President Felix Tshisekedi of Congo on Tuesday. While he highlighted the pain Belgium caused during colonialism, he stopped short of a full apology. His statement, however, marked the first time someone from the Belgian royal family acknowledged the brutal toll the country had on Congo, according to the New York Times.
“I want to express my deepest regrets for the wounds of the past, the pain of which is revived today by discriminations that are still too present in our societies,” Philippe wrote, adding that he would “continue to fight against all forms of racism.”
The letter comes on the 60th anniversary of Congolese independence. Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes of Belgium on Tuesday also urged her country to “look its past in the face” as Europe revisits and examines its legacy of colonialism.
Tshisekedi said during a Monday speech that Philippe was expected to be in Kinshasa for this year’s Independence Day celebrations but was unable to attend because of the coronavirus pandemic. He spoke about the ties between the two nations.
“I consider it necessary that our common history with Belgium and its people be told to our children in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as in Belgium on the basis of scientific work carried out by historians of the two countries,” he said.
“But the most important thing for the future is to build harmonious relations with Belgium,” Tshisekedi continued, “because beyond the stigmas of history, the two peoples have been able to build a strong relationship.”
