Belgian king reiterates regrets for Congo's colonial past, but some Congolese want more

Belgian King Philippe reaffirmed his deepest regrets for what he said was the exploitation, racism and acts of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo during his country's colonization from 1885-1960, as he visited the African country for the first time since ascending to the throne in 2013.

"On the occasion of my first trip to Congo, right here, in front of the Congolese people and those who still suffer today, I wish to reaffirm my deepest regrets for those wounds of the past," he said during an address at the People's Palace.

He also returned an initiation mask of the Suku people to the country as a gesture of goodwill. His visit is being watched closely due to the legacy of the colonial rule, which saw millions of Congolese deaths. While he offered his regrets, a reiteration of similar comments from 2020, some Congolese residents pressed for an actual apology – though one was not made during his speech Wednesday.

Some who attended the speech or watched from nearby offered mixed reactions of hope and a critical eye. One woman, Solange Ekudju, said she came because she wanted to understand "how he could abandon us for so long."

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