A statue of Leopold II at the Africa Museum, in Tervuren, near Brussels, was sprayed with red paint earlier this monthBelgium’s king has apologised to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the “acts of violence and atrocity” inflicted on it by its former colonial masters. King Philippe “expressed regret” for his country’s savage rule in a letter to President Tshisekedi marking the 60th anniversary of independence. The Belgian royal family was directly involved during one of the most infamous periods of the colonial era. “At the time of the Congo Free State, acts of violence and atrocity were committed that continue to weigh on our collective memory,” he said. “During the ensuing colonial period suffering and humiliations were inflicted.”The king’s great-great-grandfather Leopold II ran the central African country as his personal colony from 1885 to 1908.

Source: The Times June 30, 2020 15:56 UTC