The independence of Congo was in 1960. Up until the end, Belgian troops would practice target shooting with random civilians, as a sport. There are probably old monsters alive in Belgium today that committed crimes in the Congo.

We even had human zoos in Brussels. With black people from the Congo in cages depicting what life was there.

We did some horrific things in our past.

Still a lot of denial about this in Belgium. At school I was told that the accounts of hands being cut as a punishment for minor slights were greatly exaggerated.

Don't try to make jokes about someone's great-grandfather just asking the Congolese to lend a hand also, the posh people I said it to pretended they didn't get it.

Given current events, it's probably not the worst idea to remind oneself of the depravity human beings are capable of. You know, just in case.