Belgium King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on Tuesday begin dia seven-day visit to di Democratic Republic of Congo.
Di monarch dey visit di African kontri afta President Félix Tshisekedi invite dem.
Dis na King Philippe first visit to di kontri since im ascend di throne for 2013.
Di royals dey accompanied by Belgian goment ministers for dis visit.
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Dem go visit di capital, Kinshasa, and di cities of Lubumbashi and Bukavu.
Tori be say dis trip na for March 2022, dem bin plan am but dem cancelled because of Russia invasion of Ukraine.
For June 2020, King Philippe bin express im “deepest regrets” to di Democratic Republic of Congo for im kontri colonial abuse.
Na di first time a Belgian monarch go officially expressed remorse for wetin bin happun during di kontri colonial rule.
Belgium bin control di central African kontri from di 19th Century until dem get dia independence in 1960. Millions of Africans die during di bloody colonial rule.
‘Di damage don already happun’
Presidential adviser Christian Bushiri Ongala bin tell BBC say “di damage don already happun, e dey deep, nothing fit compensate for human lives”.
“Dem kill millions of pipo under di duress of colonisation, no billion dollars fit compensate for human lives. We dey di logic of recognition, logic of normal relations, no bi logic of claiming compensation,” e tok.
“So, if di King recognise dis, na step in di right direction, and we must value di population wey dem humiliate during dis period of colonisation. And do wetin dey expected, dat na co-operation between two civilised kontries, between two responsible goments. If we go in dis direction, I believe say e fit compensate for di misdeeds of colonisation.”
How Belgium relationship dey wit DR Congo
“Since President Tshisekedi enta office, di relationship between di two kontries dey okay.
From Belgian point of view, dis na consolidation of King Philippe message,” na so Professor Bob Kabamba – doctor of political science, lecturer for di Department of Political Science for University of Liège tok.
‘’Now e be like say im want do more dan tok. Currently for Congo, political life dey quite hectic. Dis visit for Felix Tshisekedi an important moment, to show say Belgium dey support am, to show Congolese public opinion say Belgium dey support am, Belgium dey wit am and say im dey worthy of di support of di entire international community through Belgium”, na wetin Bob Kabamba, add put.
DR Congo colonial history
For 2020, di Belgian monarch bin express im regret ova di “acts of violence and cruelty” wey happun during colonial rule for Congo.
Na for June 2020 dis whole tin start wit one letter wey dem send to Congolese President Felix Tchisekedi.
Without apologizing, King Philipe torchlight di suffering and humiliations wey Congo suffer for 75 years, from 1885 to 1960. In particular di killings and mutilations wey Congolese workers suffer for di rubber plantations.
Di Congolese president hail di king words as a “step forward” wey dey capable of “boosting friendly relations” between di two kontries. At di invitation of di latter, two years later, di Belgian monarch travel to Kinshasa from June 7 to 13, 2022 for a six-day visit.
Reconciliation between Belgium and DRC?
Di monarch express im regret for 2020, dat follow di beginning of a work of memory on di colonial past.
For Belgium, dem set up a special parliamentary commission, as well as drafting one report wey take accounts of di tins wey happun during Belgian colonial period.
Dis commission also go explore reparation, compensation and reconciliation mechanisms between di two countries.
At di same time, Belgium don open di door to the return of artistic or symbolic objects back to DRC.
Di forefront of di restitution, dem find di tooth of Patrice Lumumba, di last remains of di former Prime Minister wey dem execute for 1961 before dem use acid melt im deadi bodi.
Dis tooth dey must repatriate am to DRC next June, afta dem don postpone am several times.
Restitution of art works
Belgium also submitted last month an inventory of more than 80,000 art objects wey originate from Congo and dem keep for Museum of Africa in Tervuren for Belgium, among odas.
Anoda mata na di decolonization of public space, particularly for Brussels.
Di Belgian capital bin commission one report to inventory colonial symbols.
Dis text wey dem publish last month na to recontextualize di monuments wey dem bin erect to di glory of colonization.
