Belgium’s Dark Colonial Secret: The Stolen Métis Children of the Congo
Forced Separation and Abuse
During Belgium’s colonial rule in the Congo River Basin, a sinister policy emerged: the forced removal of mixed-race children, known as métis, from their families. This policy aimed to ensure the supremacy of white settlers and maintain a strict racial hierarchy.
Under this system, children as young as two years old were taken from their mothers and placed under the control of the state, often in religious institutions. These children faced physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, including forced labor, beatings, and sexual violence.
Survivors Speak Out
For decades, the stories of these stolen children remained hidden. But in recent years, survivors have begun to come forward, sharing their harrowing experiences.
Bitu Bingi, a métis woman, vividly recalls the day she was taken from her village. “The tall white man… spoke with one of my uncles, and later on, back at my grandparents’ hut, the 4-year-old noticed that a grim mood had descended over the grown-ups.” She was then forcibly removed and sent to a Catholic mission.
Another survivor, Jacqui Goegebeur, was separated from her family and taken to Belgium as a baby. “I was used to white people,” she said. “When I arrived in Kigali, surrounded by Black people, I felt disoriented and profoundly lonely.”
Church Complicity
The Catholic Church played a key role in the forced removal and abuse of métis children. Church-run institutions provided the facilities and personnel needed to implement this inhumane policy.
“Without the church, there would have been no way to put the system in place,” said lawyer Michèle Hirsch, who is representing a group of métis plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Belgian government.
Legal Reckoning
In 2018, Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives unanimously passed the Métis Resolution, acknowledging the government’s role in the forced separation of métis children and mandating a comprehensive study of this dark chapter.
Survivors have also filed a civil suit against the Belgian government, alleging crimes against humanity. They are seeking reparations and an apology for the horrors they endured.
Canada and Australia’s Examples
Belgium is not the only country grappling with the legacy of colonialism and forced separation of Indigenous children.
Canada and Australia have both recently acknowledged and apologized for similar policies that resulted in the removal of tens of thousands of Indigenous children from their families. These governments have also provided compensation to survivors.
Healing and Reconciliation
The survivors of Belgium’s colonial crimes continue to seek justice and recognition. Their stories shed light on a shameful chapter in history and demand accountability from those responsible.
“If Belgium doesn’t face this story,” said Bitu Bingi, “the trauma will be passed down from generation to generation. It did it. It must pay.”
