DR Congo Demands Belgian Apology and Colonial Reparations

Officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other former Belgian colonies called for a formal apology and comprehensive reparations from Belgium during an international conference in Baku on August 21, 2026. The conference, titled “Injustices of Belgian Colonialism and 101 Years of Struggle for Reparations,” gathered representatives from the United Nations, Morocco, South Africa, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Congolese lawmaker C-B. Francis Tshibalabala Mukunay argued that reparations must extend beyond financial compensation to include the acknowledgment of historical wrongs and the prevention of their recurrence. He specified that the process should include the restitution of archives, works of art, cultural property, and human remains to their countries of origin.

Participants sought to leverage the UN Human Rights Council to pressure Belgium into securing a formal apology. Key objectives include establishing a binding international mechanism to monitor Belgium's restitution obligations under UN General Assembly Resolution 60/147 and ensuring unhindered access to Belgian colonial archives. Paul Nsapu Mukulu, President of Congo’s National Human Rights Commission, stated that addressing the consequences of these past injustices remains a primary current task.