A ceremony to honour Belgian soldiers who have died in service since 1945, as well as veterans, took place at 11:00 on Sunday at Brussels’ Congress Column, at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The date commemorates the 30th anniversary of the killing of ten Belgian soldiers in Rwanda during the UN peacekeeping operation on 7th April 1994.
The event was attended by a host of dignitaries, including the representative of King Philippe, André Flahaut MP, Senator Isabelle Pauthier, a representative from the City of Brussels, and several high-ranking Defence officials.
A minute’s silence was observed in memory of the Belgian soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty, particularly in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia, Congo and Rwanda. The fallen soldiers’ names were read out individually.
The commemorations continued with the laying of wreathes on the Unknown Soldier’s tomb by the various attendees, as well as by a delegation of students from the Royal Military Academy. Family members of the deceased soldiers present at the Congress Column were then invited to lay their wreaths.
Lastly, the King’s representative relit the Eternal Flame and signed the guestbook. The ceremony concluded around 11:30 with the Belgian national anthem “La Brabançonne”.
