BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is demanding the return of the remains of its national heroes that were removed from the country, the full restoration of historical truth, and Belgium’s official acknowledgment of the crimes committed during the colonial period, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
This was stated to reporters by Francis Tshibalabala Mukunay, a member of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at an international conference in Baku on “Belgium’s colonial injustice and 101-year path to reparations.”
“We want the remains of our heroes and ancestors returned to us so that we can bury them with dignity,” Francis Tshibalabala Mukunay said.
According to him, although the current generation did not directly experience colonialism, its consequences continue to be felt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“We ourselves did not experience colonialism, but our ancestors and heroes did. Today we continue to feel its consequences, as colonialism fundamentally changed life in the DRC,” he noted.
Mukunay emphasized that during the period of Belgian colonial rule, the people of the Congo were subjected to cruel and degrading treatment, and the country’s natural resources were exploited for Belgium’s benefit. “Our mineral resources were exploited for Belgium’s benefit. Works of art and archives were taken away, which affected the collective memory of the Congolese people,” the lawmaker stated.
He also noted that the remains of some people who fought against colonialism are still in Belgium. “We want the repatriation of the remains of our heroes and ancestors to continue,” Mukunay said.
According to him, the history of Belgian colonization must be taught in its entirety, without omissions or falsifications. “An official apology and acknowledgment of everything the Belgians did in the DRC are also necessary,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, Mukunay noted the importance of the international conference in Baku and thanked its organizers for bringing the issue of the consequences of Belgian colonialism to the international stage.
