King Philippe’s ‘regret’ for Belgium’s brutal colonial past received mixed reactions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a letter the Monarch addressed to President Félix Tshisekedi on the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence, Philippe expressed unprecedented sorrow for the colonial acts that historians say led to the death of millions of Congolese.
“Let all those responsible for the instability in the DRC take the example of Belgium, a former colony that is asking us for forgiveness.
Mukendi Alain is a Kinshasa resident: “If there was wrongdoing that happened in the colonial era, I think this is the time to right that wrong and make it right for the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Belgium is contemplating setting up a parliamentary commission to investigate its colonial rule, which also extended over Rwanda and Burundi.
