Belgium’s King Philippe has asked students of the University of Lubumbashi to find a value in the country’s abundance of minerals.
While on a landmark visit to the university, he asked the students to build wealth from the nation’s greatness and abundance of mineral deposits.
“We are very honoured to receive the King of Belgium in our country, the DRC. He did not hesitate to visit Lubumbashi and today we receive him a the best university”, one of the students said.
King Philipe in his speech said the skills they’ve acquired should propel them to finding a value chain in the nation’s huge wealth.
“Dear students, this future is yours. Congo possesses plenty of wealth in its subsoil. It is up to you to get the most value out of this natural richness, in your own country, for the benefit of the Congolese people, thanks to the skills you will have acquired, ” King Philipe said.
Copper and Cobalt are some of Lubumbashi’s biggest mineral deposits and is the main city with those particular minerals.
Philipe had earlier expressed regrets about Belgium’s colonial excesses in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has scheduled to visit gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege on Sunday.
Mukwege is a co-winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts against sexual violence in Eastern DR Congo city of Bukavu.
The Belgian King also spoke about the agriculture potential in Congo. The Central Africam country has the second largest rainfall in the world.