Belgium to Return Hundreds of Objects Obtained Illegally from Democratic Republic of Congo

As debates about repatriation of cultural objects rage across Europe, Belgium said Saturday that it would transfer ownership of hundreds of objects from the Democratic Republic of Congo that were illegally added to its national holdings. The promise to do so is a major step in a country where conversations about histories of colonialism have historically been given less weight than in nations like France, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Thomas Dermine, Belgium’s Secretary of State for S