Prime minister Charles Michel wants to determine whether the summary of the expert group of the United Nations about the colonial past of Belgium in accordance with “the tone of the report”. Because the summary that the prime minister Monday heard, you hear him say “very strange” in the ears.
An expert group of the United Nations, the Belgian government yesterday called to in the name of our country apologise for our colonial past and the crimes committed during that “dark chapter” from the history of Belgium took place.
Read also the UN recommended Belgium to apologise for colonial history
“I have not yet fully taken knowledge of the report”, responded prime minister Michel today on the sidelines of a speech at the college of Europe in Bruges. “But the summary that I’ve heard, is very strange. I have the impression that in Belgium, we always have tried, and still continue to work, to up the fight against any form of discrimination, to strengthen.” the
Michel is “surprised” about the summary, but the leader of the government in pending cases will determine whether that communication “in accordance with the spirit of the report”. He added that the Belgian government in the course of the proceedings the opportunity to have formal comments to make.
The experts attended a week-long our country and presented Monday their interim findings and recommendations. Altogether there are about 74 points. The final report for september scheduled.
Vervoort: “responsibility, recognize”
Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort responded today to the report and says that we “should be able to have their own responsibilities to recognize” for the Belgian colonial past in the Congo.
Vervoort will find that Brussels too “need to take place in the debate”, and has his administration – especially the Brussels Urban planning and Heritage and the Directorate for Cultural Heritage – in the meantime, requested an inventory of all the streets, places and monuments in Brussels, referring to the colonisation of Congo by Belgium.
