(CNN) The King of Belgium has sent his "deepest regrets" to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the "suffering and humiliation" his nation inflicted while it colonized the region -- but stopped short of apologizing for his ancestor Leopold II's atrocities. On the 60th anniversary of the DRC's independence, King Philippe of Belgium wrote a letter to President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo in which he admitted that "to further strengthen our ties and develop an even more fruitful friendship, we must be able to talk about our long common history in all truth and serenity." The acknowledgment is a watershed moment in Belgium's post-colonial history, and a rare admission of imperialist sins from the royal family -- even if Philippe did not go as far as formally apologizing. It also marks a significant victory for the anti-racism protesters who have been demanding Belgium address its colonial past and remove public monuments to Leopold II. One unlikely leader of the demonstrations is a 14-year-old called Noah , whose petition to take down Brussels' monuments has been signed tens of thousands of times.

Source: CNN June 30, 2020 07:58 UTC