King Albert invited to celebrate Congo’s 50 Years Independence

Last week, during a visit of Belgian foreign affairs minister Steven Vanackere to Congo, the Congolese government officially invited King Albert II to the celebrations of 50 years independence of Congo.

Congo was a colony to Belgium from the moment King Leopold II transferred governance of the territory to the Belgian government to the day King Baudouin accepted the call for independence of the colony in 1960. Due to long extortion of the people and exploitation of the natural resources by the Belgian colonists, who seemed to know no measure at all, the Belgian legacy in Congo is somewhat bitter. Even back in the early 1900s, the international community condemned the Belgians for the atrocities they committed against the original inhabitants of the territory. However, Congo seems to be ready to come to terms with the past, and has extended an official invitation to the Belgian monarch to attend the festivities for their independence.

Whether or not the King (or rather, the government) will accept the invitation is not yet known.

Related posts:

1. King Albert Offers to Pay Part of Renovation Costs
2. 1909-2009 The Accession of King Albert I
3. King Albert opens doors for the homeless
4. King Albert II Leads the Armistice Day Ceremony
5. King Albert of Belgium is 75

One Response to King Albert invited to celebrate Congo’s 50 Years Independence

1. Andrew says:

   January 23, 2010 at 12:40 pm

   40 years? Surely you mean 50? What a sad mess that country is in! Maybe Belgium in the 21st Century may be a better brother for this African country now than it was in the previous two centuries. From what I hear, it needs all the help it can get!