Mothers and Métis children from DRC, Burundi and Rwanda against the Belgian State

What's the Metis case about?

The Métis are biracial children born in the Belgian Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda to European fathers and African mothers. Under Belgian colonial rule, some 16,000 children were forcibly abducted—many institutionalized or displaced to Belgium—severing families and causing lifelong trauma. Of these, about 15,000 remained in the Great Lakes region.

From 1890, Belgian authorities issued decrees to forcibly remove biracial children from their mothers, often claiming it was for their education and protection.Taken from their families, Métis children were placed in church-run missions known as colonies scolaires, where they were stripped of their African identity and forcibly "Europeanized." This segregation aimed to erase their roots and enforce colonial racial hierarchies.

In the years leading to independence (1959–1962), hundreds of Métis children were displaced to Belgium. Once there, a 1960 ministerial circular revoked their Belgian nationality and labeled them illegitimate, leaving them stateless and cut off from both their African and European identities.

At independence, most Métis children were left in institutions with no records, no support, and no connection to their families. Their stories are marked by deep emotional trauma, legal invisibility, and decades of silence. As one survivor shared:

The story of the Métis children is not just a colonial tragedy-it is a modern justice crisis. Their forced abduction, racial segregation, and abandonment under Belgian colonial rule reveal how the legacies of exploitation continue to inflict harm today. Families were destroyed, identities erased, and trauma passed through generations.This case aligns directly with African Futures Lab's mission: to confront historical and ongoing injustices, demand systemic change, and fight for reparations that are material, financial, and structural.   

In light of this ruling, African Futures Lab calls for:

• Full recognition and reparations from all European states involved in such colonial policies - material, financial, and systemic.
• Legal accountability beyond apologies and symbolic resolutions.
• Streamlined access to Belgian nationality, humanitarian visas, and DNA testing for Métis descendants.
•  Comprehensive healthcare support—including mental health—for all Métis of Belgian colonial descent.
• Financial compensation for all victims, including African mothers whose children were taken.
• Recognition of colonial crimes as crimes against humanity in international law, including the Rome Statute.
• Public education and remembrance in Belgium, the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi to preserve and honor Métis histories. 

This historic decision represents long-awaited recognition and supports additional claims for reparations for Métis people, offering a beacon of hope for a future where justice prevails. We remain committed to ensuring these demands are met. Recognizing a crucial gap in the current discourse, with significant focus on the Métis children but less on their mothers, we are currently working on a documentary to feature the remaining mothers of these Métis children, allowing them to share their powerful stories and ensure their experiences are heard and documented.