Belgium dismantles statue of former monarch as king

On Tuesday, Belgium removed the statue of King Leopold II, the former monarch considered responsible for the deaths of millions of Africans, while the new King voiced his “deepest sorrow” for Belgium’s imperial history.

King Philip ‘s remarks held a resounding meaning, as neither of his ancestors held gone so far as to express regret. In a letter to the President of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, Philippe expressed his “deepest apologies” for the “acts of abuse and brutality” and the “suffering and shame” inflicted on the Belgian Congo.

The removal of the statue of King Leopold II took place only hours after the publication of Philip ‘s letter. The dictator, who ruled Belgium from 1865 to 1909, plundered the Congo and coerced hundreds of his subjects into slavery to gain wealth for his own benefit. Some experts estimate that his brutal treatment of the country has left as many as 10 million Congolese dead.

After a brief ceremony, Leopold’s bust in Ghent was carried away from the small park where it sat in the middle of applause. This will be moved to the warehouse of the Ghent City Museum before a decision has been made by the City Commission responsible for decolonization programs.

Belgium has been unable to deal with its imperial history for a long time. But the international anti-racism protests that followed George Floyd ‘s death in the United States on May 25 have given new impetus to activists fighting to remove monuments such as Leopold.

In the meantime, the national authorities have now agreed to update the context of the course in order to help clarify the true character of colonization, whilst the federal Parliament has determined that the Commission should delve at Belgium’s colonial past.

After Leopold ‘s alleged control of the Congo ended in 1908, he turned it over to the Belgian administration, which continued to govern the colony—75 times the size of Belgium — until the African nation became independent in 1960.

In his message, Philippe highlighted the “simple successes” of Belgium and its former colonies, but also the traumatic episodes of their unequal relationship.

“At the time of the Independent State of the Congo, acts of violence and brutality were perpetrated which still weigh on our collective memory,” Philippe wrote, referring to the period when the country was privately controlled by Leopold II from 1885 to 1908.

“The colonial period that followed also brought suffering and humiliation,” Philippe said. “I would like to share my sincere sorrow at the wounds of the past, whose suffering is now renewed by the injustice that is all too prevalent in our cultures.”