Armistice Day: King Philippe leads commemorations of war dead
A military ceremony was held at the Congress Column in Brussels on Monday in honour of the dead of the two world wars and soldiers killed in peacekeeping missions since 1945.
King Philippe laid a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and lit the eternal flame of the memorial at the foot of the column.
The presidents of the House and Senate as well as members of the federal government and the judiciary attended the ceremony, as did representatives of the police, defence, NATO and foreign armed forces in Belgium. The ceremony takes place each year on 11 November, the day the armistice that ended World War I was signed in 1918.
The King saluted the displayed honour guard following a parade. After laying a wreath, he fanned the Eternal Flame of the Congress Column and greeted veterans and members of charities and associations.
Later on Monday, Belgium will commemorate Congolese soldiers who died during the two world wars. Secretary of state for Equal Opportunities Marie-Colline Leroy is due to attend a ceremony at the Monument to the Troops of the African Campaigns at Place François Riga in Schaerbeek at 14.00.
She will lay a wreath at the monument in the name of the federal government, for the second time.
"It is also a sign of recognition for the work of the special commission on Belgium's colonial past"
“It was essential for me and the government to show Belgium’s gratitude for the courage and sacrifice of the Congolese soldiers mobilised for the two world wars,” she said in a press release. “It is also a sign of recognition for the work of the special commission on Belgium's colonial past.”
In May this year, the government confirmed structural support for the commemoration of the Battle of Tabora, one of the most important of World War I. Through the Force Publique, Belgium mobilised 300,000 men for the attack in German East Africa, modern-day Tanzania.
According to current research, about 29,000 people died on the Congolese side in the hostilities. In World War II, more than 30,000 Congolese soldiers were deployed mainly in Africa and Asia.
King Philippe during the Armistice commemoration at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Brussels, 11 November 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS / BELGA VIDEO ANTONY GEVAERT
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