In Belgian town, monuments expose a troubled colonial legacy Monuments honoring figures from Belgium's colonial era are coming under scrutiny in that country and elsewhereIn this photo taken on Monday, June 22, 2020, Eric Baranyanka, right, and his foster mother Emma Monsaert look at a photo of Eric as a young boy in Lembeek, Belgium. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) The Associated PressHALLE, Belgium -- For a long time, few people in the small Belgian town of Halle paid much attention to the monuments. Nearby, a pale sandstone statue formally known as the “Monument to the Colonial Pioneers” has stood for 93 years. As a teenager, he often talked to them about the monuments, his African roots and Leopold’s legacy. Eunice Yahuma, a local leader of a group called Belgian Youth Against Racism and the youth division of the Christian Democrats, knows about Belgium’s troubled history.

Source: ABC News June 27, 2020 07:18 UTC