Belgium to return colonial archives to Rwanda

Belgium will return to Rwanda its archives of the colonial period, including cultural heritage such as photos, films and musical recordings.

A major digitisation project, expected to last two years, will begin in 2019 with a budget of €400,000, Belgian minister for development cooperation Alexander De Croo announced.

A delegation of Rwandan archivists will visit Belgium next year to discuss and define their priorities. The material is currently stored in the Belgian royal archives and in the Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren, which reopens to the public this December after renovation works.

De Croo announced the project at a conference dedicated to strengthening links between Africa and Europe. Last week, 36 historians and Africa specialists signed an open letter in De Standaard calling for Belgium to return goods seized in Africa during the colonial period.