A group of experts last week called upon Belgium to apologise for the cruelty in colonial times in Congo.  <person>Bart De Wever</person> (photo below) warns that when you talk about the colonial past it is good to be careful when apportioning individual responsibility: "The world is very grey: light grey, dark grey but seldom black and white.  However you must be prepared to express a collective judgement and ask how did we as a community behave in history and give account for this."

"If you are talking about colonial history, then you are forced to look at the figure of the head of state, the figure of King <person>Leopold II</person> (photo top) is unmistakable.  Even in his own day he was condemned.  If an historic apology needs to be made - because this seems to be relevant given the terrible number of people have been murdered for cash - then I think we should look to the head of state to make the apology".