(18p) No Belgian apologies for its colonial past - A missed opportunity

The Belgian Commission on Belgium's colonial past was a failure as politicians didn't want to agree on an apology about the terror under, mainly, king Leopold II's reign in Congo, although later also Belgium didn't always act correctly. Originally an apology was planned although without compensation, but even this was too much. 

Belgium doesn't apologise for its past in its colonies

It is beyond believe that Belgians still don't want to condemn officially and with the strongest possible wording the crimes, the genocide committed under their second king Leopold II who allowed the mutilation and dead of men, women, even children when they didn't work hard enough, and to use the violence as an example for others to work harder. Estimates are that up to 10 million people died under king Leopold II's rule over Congo as his personal property; he should never have taken that land. Remember Hitler's 6 million Jews, and most Germans are rightly ashamed of what they as people did. Crimes in Congo, Rwanda and Burundi under a man who would today remain one day king when he allowed such crimes to happen, before being sentenced and imprisoned for life as he was the highest in order and didn't do anything to stop the practices. 

King leopold II, many times stained with red paint, many times cleaned. But, some paint remain.

Or so we may think, because even today Belgians try to downplay these crimes by refusing to apologise, scared that Belgium need to pay for it. A "deepest regrets", first in a letter in June 2020 and later spoken in Congo in June 2022 by Belgium's king Philip I (whereby he didn't even mention leopold II's name so to suggest that all Belgians were equally guilty) is worthless when actions to improve relations with descendants of Congolese, Rwandan and Burundian people both in Belgium and in those countries are vetoed by leaving the meeting before the vote can be held (I think always, except when too many politicians are ill, voting should take place to avoid politicians walk out). This because of ONE word (excuses) in ONE sentence while most political parties agreed that the other points about our colonial past are important. One of the other points was that we need to be educated about what happened in Central Africa under Belgium rule; I have written about this before. 

Still, if Congo would request, should we not scrape off all the gold we stole from our colonies and that decorate Belgian Palaces to illustrate Belgium's wealth to return to the ex-colonies; we can repaint in yellow? Or, can we not pay a fair price for it as we stole it? Of course, good relations are preferable, therefore, is it not better to find ways to repay Belgium's huge debts towards the Congolese, Rwandan and Burundian people? 

As the Belgian Commission doesn't want that the main blame goes towards a king although, already soon after the dead of that despicable person Belgian politicians were whitewashing that monster such as by erecting statues, therefore all Belgians are guilty, including ordinary Flemish and Walloons who were kept poor themselves under that king. Indeed, also in the decades after leopold II when Congo was a colony of Belgium and no longer of the king, Belgian companies continued to profit from Congo's wealth while politicians in those countries who Belgium didn't like were removed from power, sometimes by killing them such as happened with PM Lumumba, of whom I wrote before. Even Congo's dictator Mobutu was accepted until he insulted the Belgian king and then signed his end-of-power contract. Thus, the apology is a missed opportunity, and mainly intended to protect the interests  of industries that profited in Belgium's colonies but probably also to protect the Royal family.

This refusal to apologise also means that Belgium can't comment when other regimes such as Turkey in Armenia refuse to recognise their genocides as we refuse to acknowledge the genocide on our own hands.

Still, whether white people like it or not, and certainly Europe that colonised the whole world, in a future world, previous colonies will become more powerful and will demand more than a "sorry" from previous colonisers. Already after king Philip spoke his speech, not everyone in Congo was impressed with his words as they demanded more. In a future world, if we refuse, they may hurt our economies because they have most raw materials but will also have more political weight. Just now when in Europe extreme right is on the rise, while many of its governments already try to stop migrants from coming to Europe. But also white politicians in countries like Brazil don't show themselves always from their best side. 

The question is how far to go back in time, as I discussed before. But in Central Africa, even today Western companies, including Belgian companies, make profits while local people live in poverty. In addition, many of the people who lived under Belgian colonial rule are still alive, and thus it is too close to forget, even when the situation was not as bad as under king leopold II.

This report would inform what happened in Congo, Burundi and Rwanda, and the consequences up to today such as the Rwandan genocide as Rwandans were divided by the Belgian rulers into a minority of chiefs over a majority who had to obey. Also for the current troubles in Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, the Belgian colonial rulers can be blamed as Belgium didn't educate the people in the colonies before independence while they assassinated Congo's first democratically-elected PM. Knowledge can heal and bring understanding why Belgians will have to help those in Central Africa in order that those countries can develop. Still, although the report was rejected, there are plans to vote in the Parliament on a weaker report (ie without excuses) because politicians feels this rejecting was not clever. 

Still, only the weekend before the rejection, a deal to collaborate with Congo was reached that includes support to invest in the economy.  Something like this can be part of Belgian excuses. 

Belgium is also planning to return stolen African art and other objects, and during king Philip's visit to Congo, one piece of African art was returned to our previous colony, even when it was bought and not stolen. It would also be great to give some of our own art that will further enrich the former colonies' art collections. 

The Africa Museum where leopold II can be seen as the centre of Africa, surrounded by Africans as well as animals. In the museum, both art of the past but also some recent art can be seen.

But no, Belgium refuses to excuse itself for the genocide it committed in Central Africa and thus shows itself from its worst side, while at the same time we help them but not as part of an excuse. When greed can destroy relations, even when we help. 

For me, it is unbelievable that Belgium refuses to cut-off any relation with leopold II and prefers to risk bad relations with living Africans, in Belgium and elsewhere. And thus Belgium gave away much of the control it had about future relations with black people from that region and elsewhere. Don't be surprised when one day, and another, angry leaders rise, then the initiative may be in their hands, and white people may have to bend for their demands for justice. 

It is the woke movement: recognise the evil done and advance to rectify it so relations with previous colonies can be good. An excuse, yes, as it is as much about the economy as it is about the recognition of someone else's culture, and thus recognition of the other persons right to have a good life. That doesn't mean we cannot criticise policies in previous colonies when they disadvantage people, and thus our help can vary according whether leaders are good or not. An example that can be part of an apologise is solidarity to tackle the effects of climate change and create a clean energy economy.

Apologies by government of the Netherlands for slavery in their colonies

If we than compare with the Netherlands where PM Rutte apologised for the slavery in its former colonies, and the wealth it created for the Dutch. Still, he was criticised to speak this apology too early as many preferred he waited until 1 July 2023 so it would be on the day of the abolishment of slavery. Further, his government has ruled out reparations, but will set up a €200 million educational fund. This apology should leave the Netherlands in the position to reach economic and cultural deals with those colonies. 

Still, as there was no consultation with the former colonies such as about the best date to make these apologies, PM Silveria Jacobs of the Dutch Caribbean territory of Sint Maarten told Dutch media that the island would not accept any government apology “until our advisory committee has discussed it and we as a country discussed it”. Indeed, people in the former colonies have been waiting for a few hundred years for true reparatory justice and thus they can wait a little further. This shows that these countries have grown-up and former colonisers need to understand this so they can discuss to reach an agreement with those who were colonised, instead of forcing their will on them, even when it concerns only a date when to apologise, or former colonies will consider it as an act of neocolonialism. 

Summary of my opinion

In conclusion, Belgium's refusal to express excuses because it doesn't want to take responsibility for its past actions as it fears it need to pay compensations, and as a consequence the refusal of all the other measures in the report to educate Belgians about what Belgium did in its former colonies, even when the report, except the apology, will now be discussed in the Parliament, is a major mistake. 

Now and for the next centuries, Congo, Burundi and Rwanda may return to this refusal as proof of neocolonialism when they don't like Belgian criticism on wrong human rights or environmental issues in their countries. 

The Commission in the Belgium Parliament has spoken after 2.5 years of discussions, a future apology is likely to have less value. This is the problem: even when we are now best friends with people from former colonies, there will be those who remember and want more than friendship. 

Compare with South Africa that suffered greatly under the apartheid by white rulers; but, people like Nelson Mandela, but in general all black South Africans, agreed that a Truth Commission in which past rulers express sorry should be sufficient to heal and bring people together. But, white people remain dominant economical as they refuse to share, and thus the situation for many black people didn't really improve so their frustration and anger can continue to grow until it may boil over. Similar in other countries such as Brasil and its favelas, poor regions with high criminality within Rio de Janeiro in which mainly dark-skinned people live. Greed is never a good adviser. Don't expect forgiveness when you don't apologise, and certainly rich countries don't need to assume forgiveness from the poor.