Today follows the long-anticipated speech by King Philippe during the state visit to Congo. He is expected to repeat the expression of regret in the letter he sent on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of independence. There may also be real apologies for the excesses of the colonial period. Follow it live here from 3.25 pm.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were received with all possible respect in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Tuesday afternoon. A battalion of Congolese soldiers in pageantry, the military brass band and of course President Félix Tshisekedi and his wife were waiting for the Belgian plane.
The royal couple are accompanied by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir and State Secretary for Science Policy Thomas Dermine.
Mask
Earlier today, King Filip and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo handed over a mask from the AfricaMuseum to the National Museum of Congo (MNRDC). It is a work of art that was bought by the museum in Tervuren seventy years ago, but it was decided that it better belongs in the Congolese capital.
Belgium has decided to return all art that was transferred to Belgium during the colonial period to Congo. “This makes us unique in the world,” said Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. “Other countries work object by object, but we come up with a general approach. We want to find out in a scientific way the provenance of all objects in the hands of the Belgian museums.”
Last week, the legal framework for that large-scale restitution was approved in the House Committee. Once the text has been voted on by the plenary, the operation can start.
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