BRUSSELS, June 4 ― Belgium’s King Philippe on Tuesday begins a historic visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a region cruelly exploited by his ancestors, as tensions...
BRUSSELS, June 4 ― Belgium’s King Philippe on Tuesday begins a historic visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a region cruelly exploited by his ancestors, as tensions rise in the volatile east.
It had originally been scheduled to take place in June 2020 to mark the DRC’s 60th anniversary of independence, but was rescheduled to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Philippe will be accompanied by his wife, Queen Mathilde, and members of the Belgian government, including Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Belgium is also preparing to return to Kinshasa a tooth ― the last remains of Patrice Lumumba ― a hero of the anti-colonial struggle and short-lived first prime minister of the independent Congo. The latter was criticised, including by Brussels, for having remained in power beyond his second term, in violation of his country’s constitution, and development ties were suspended for a time.
After the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994, some of the perpetrators fled to the DRC and Kigali’s new authorities launched operations against them.