Congo asks Belgium to return hundreds of skulls from colonial era
The Congolese government has formally written to Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever to request the return of hundreds of skulls looted during the colonial era, De Morgen reports. The request states: "The dead must be able to rest in dignity in their country of origin and must not be regarded merely as collector's items."
In a letter postmarked in Kinshasa 10 days ago, Congolese prime minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka requests the return of human remains from the colonial period. Belgians took them during the colonial period as spoils of war or for study purposes.
More than 500 sets of human remains, mainly Congolese but also Rwandan and Burundian, are still held in Belgian museums. A small number are stored at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, while the majority are in Brussels, at the Royal Museum of Natural Sciences, where 260 skulls were shown to a limited audience for the first time in November.
For years, descendants and advocates have been calling for these remains to be returned to Congo. Following the November exhibition, federal minister Vanessa Matz said Belgium was waiting for "an official request from the Congo". That request has now arrived.
Important, but sensitive
The fact that it is the Congolese prime minister, rather than the competent minister, who has taken charge of the matter signals how important the issue is to Kinshasa. The letter has not yet formally arrived in Brussels, but sources confirm it has been sent, De Morgen writes.
With the letter, the Congolese goverment is pressing for action. Matz is in favour of returning the remains but wants a legal framework in place first. "This is a sensitive issue," her spokesperson told De Morgen. "A framework needs to be carefully and thoroughly developed in order to address legitimate claims for restitution. The aim is to submit a draft to the government in the autumn."
Congolese prime minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
Related news
