Belgian king expresses deep regret for colonial past in Congo

FILE PHOTO: A statue of former Belgian King Leopold II sprayed with a graffiti is seen in the park of the Africa Museum, in Tervuren, near Brussels, Belgium, June 9, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium's King Philippe expressed deep regret on Tuesday for the "suffering and humiliation" inflicted on the Democratic Republic of Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule.

Philippe's message in a letter to Congo President Felix Tshisekedi is the first such expression of regret for Belgium's colonial past by a reigning monarch, the royal palace said, although it stopped short of formally apologising.