This Sunday, June 12, 2022, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde ended their historic trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was in the province of South Kivu that the Belgian sovereigns made a last “poignant” visit.
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King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visit Panzi Hospital
After visiting Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), King Philippe and Queen Mathilde traveled to Lubumbashi, in the south of the country, Congo’s second largest city. The King and Queen of the Belgians have finished their trip in Bukavu. Formerly called Costermansville during the Belgian colonial period, this city of one million inhabitants is located in the province of South Kivu in the east of the country.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde visited Panzi Hospital, which specializes in gynecological care for victims of rape and sexual violence. To carry out this visit, Philippe and Mathilde were guided by Dr. Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize 2018. The doctor specializes in the treatment of survivors of sexual violence. In March of this year, the royal couple had received doctor Mukwege at the castle of Laeken, their home. The Congolese doctor was then in Belgium for International Women’s Day.
Read also: First day of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde in Kinshasa: repentance from the start of the trip to Congo
“Poignant” visit to conclude a historic journey
During the visit to the hospital, Philippe and Mathilde spoke with hospital patients and with the nursing staff. The Royal Palace commented on the sovereigns’ visit on social media. The Palace expressed the emotion of the King and Queen by qualifying this visit as “poignant”.
Thus ends a week of travel by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde in the Congo. It was Philippe’s first visit to the Congo and the first royal visit for 12 years. The king made several speeches, including a historic speech recognizing the abuses committed by Belgium during the colonial period.
