The Week (US)

Kinshasa, Congo

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Colonial apology: King Philippe of Belgium this week expressed his “deepest regrets” for abuses committed during his country’s rule over Congo, the first acknowledg­ement of the brutal nature of Belgium’s colonial past by a sitting monarch. In the letter to Congo President Félix Tshisekedi on the 60th anniversar­y of the African nation’s independen­ce, Philippe referred to “acts of violence and brutality” under his ancestor King Leopold II. The king’s exploitati­on of the colony in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is thought to have caused at least 10 million deaths. Statues of Leopold II have recently been vandalized by Black Lives Matter protesters in Belgium. Philippe’s letter wasn’t a formal apology, but Congo saw it as a start. Congo wants “harmonious relations with Belgium,” said Tshisekedi. “Beyond the stigma of history, the two peoples have been able to build a strong relationsh­ip.”

 ??  ?? Tshisekedi: Seeking harmony
Tshisekedi: Seeking harmony

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