The old colonial regime of Belgium is set to return one of most macabre possessions to its Congolese owners, allegedly in a bid to “atone” for historic crimes. (1) The item in question is a tooth, the last remains of martyred hero Patrice Lumumba, whose heinous murder was dubbed “the most important assassination of the 20th century.” (2)

The gesture follows European waves of “regret”, “recognition” (e.g. Belgium, France) and even payments of reparations (albeit paltry, Germany, UK) by colonial powers over the last decade.  (3)  But given that neo-colonial exploitation on the Afrikan continent has only intensified in the last ten years, these statements are lacking in substantive commitments. (4)

In the case of the Congo, “King Leopold II’s Ghost Still Haunts” the central Afrikan state.  From the brutality that claimed 20 million Afrikan lives and the millions more subjected to atrocities (1885-1909) (5), the continuation under the colonial regime (1909-1960), the thwarting of the people’s aspirations by toppling Patrice Lumumba and the installation and maintenance of a western backed puppet for over 30 years (with the assistance of the USA and UK) and the fomenting of proxy wars through regional neighbours ever since. (6)

With this history it wasn’t surprising that Leopold’s great-great-grand nephew stopped short of apologising or offering reparations. (7) The but the reality is that, the cases of Kenya or Namibia aside, it will only come from mass mobilisation and campaigning.  With this in mind the African People’s Socialist Party have launched the Belgium Must Pay campaign to highlight its atrocities and the case for reparations.  As Luwezi Kinshasa, Secretary General, African Socialist International asserts:

“We are not asking for remorse, sorrow or apologies from the Belgian rulers! We are demanding reparations as part of the struggle for self-determination! There is no basis for a genuine relationship between Belgium and Congo. Everything must start with reparations. The colonial Belgian ruling class and society must return our wealth and pay for its colonial crimes, looting and assassinations of anti-colonial leaders in Congo.” (8)

(1) Jason Burke (18/06/22) Belgium to return Patrice Lumumba’s gold tooth in bid to atone for colonial crimes.  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/18/belgium-patrice-lumumba-gold-tooth-return

(2) Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja (17/01/11) Patrice Lumumba: the most important assassination of the 20th century.  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/jan/17/patrice-lumumba-50th-anniversary-assassination

(3) Franc Kunda(01/06/21) ‘DR Congo’s case for reparations is accountability in practice. https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/dr-congo-s-case-for-reparations-is-accountability-in-practice-47164; Faith Karimi (07/06/13) UK to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans over colonial-era torture. https://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/06/world/africa/uk-colonial-compensation/index.html

(4) Rosa Cherneva (26/06/20) Neocolonialism: How Western Corporations Are Exploiting Africa. https://medium.com/illumination/neocolonialism-how-western-corporations-are-exploiting-africa-d0e197af1950;

Carine Dikiefu Banona & Jean-Sébastien Sépulchre (30/0620) Belgium – Moving from Regrets to Reparations. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/06/30/belgium-moving-regrets-reparations

(5) Nosmot Gbadamosi (15/06/22) Belgium Offers Regret—but No Reparations—to Congo. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/15/belgium-congo-king-philippe-colonialism-tshisekedi/

(6) Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka (20/04/22) Patrice Lumumba : The True Story : Martyred Prophets, Celebrated Puppets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqEiNfK4uaU

(7) Gbadamosi. Op. cit.

(8) Luwezi Kinshasa (09/09/20) King Leopold II, king of genocide: Make Belgium pay reparations! https://www.theburningspear.com/2020/09/King-Leopold-II-king-of-genocide-Make-Belgium-pay-reparations

we ask the question:

Why must Belgium pay?

1) How can we measure Belgium’s debt to Congo?

2) Why are Patrice Lumumba’s remains being returned now?

3) Can the Kenya or Namibia reparations model be replicated for Congo?

4) What is the best way to make Belgium pay?

Our Special Guests:

Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant.  Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.

Bro. Luwezi Kinshasa: is the Secretary General of the African Socialist International. Born in Congo, he currently lives in exile in London where he presides over the building of the African People’s Socialist Party throughout Africa and Europe. SG Luwezi’s regular column in The Burning Spear newspaper analyses current events and development on the continent of Africa from an African Internationalist perspective. He publishes a bilingual version of The Spear in French and English for distribution in Africa and Europe.

Fluent in four languages, he has traveled, written and spoken extensively throughout the world and is well-known and respected in London especially among the large Congolese activist community there.

Bro. Charles Kukwikila: is an activist and political commentator