Due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians have postponed their trip to the Congo to a later date.
The Belgian Royal Palace made the announcement on 28 February.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were originally due to visit the former Belgian colony from 6 March to 10 March. The King’s visit was announced earlier in February.
The Belgian Royal Palace said on Monday: “Due to the invasion of Ukraine and the crisis it is generating, it has been decided, in close consultation with HE Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to postpone the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen scheduled to the DRC from March 6 to 10 to a later date.”
In 2020, King Philippe expressed on behalf of the Belgian state “deep regret” for the acts of “violence and cruelty” committed during the period of colonisation. This would have been the first Belgian royal visit to Congo since the trip of King Albert II, father of King Philippe, in 2010, for the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of the former colony.
Belgium has had a major debate in recent weeks about its colonial history. A statue of the controversial King Leopold II in Brussels could be removed and melted down as Belgian authorities consider how to deal with the country’s past colonialism. The bronze statue, from the 19th century, is located in the centre of Brussels, close to the Royal Palace.
Recently, Princess Esmeralda of Belgium once again called on her country to apologise for its colonial past in Congo. In an interview with AFP, the Princess said that Belgium must apologise for the atrocities perpetrated during the years when Congo was under European control. She continued: “Apologies are important to restart a balanced relationship,” adding that “Belgium must apologise.”
Colonial rule in the Congo began in the mid-1800s. King Leopold II of the Belgians wanted the African nation under his thumb, and the Congo Free State was under his direct control.
In 1960, the Belgian Congo gained its independence and became the Republic of the Congo.
