The Union Royale Belgo-Africaine, abbreviated URBA, is a non-profit association dedicated to preserving the precious heritage that Belgians and Africans have left to history since 1885, thanks to their commitment to the development and prosperity of the continent, especially Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
It aims to be a meeting point and fraternity between Belgians and Africans, in order to develop and perpetuate their shared history, in a spirit of mutual respect and solidarity of destiny.
Through its many activities, it aims to create dynamic relations between countries, to help bring their peoples closer together through effective action against all forms of misinformation, to encourage writing and promote research into the shared past, and to explore, study and propose strategies for mutually profitable cooperation.
These are its aims and culture.

As the successor association to the ‘Royal Union for Overseas Countries’ (UROME), URBA-KBAU continues to defend the achievements in Congo, in Rwanda and in Burundi, which are fruits of joint efforts of Belgians, Congolese, Rwandans and Burundians. It does so by cooperating in the strictly objective documentation of all that was achieved, while respecting the temporal context.

In line with the will of its founders in the distant past, URBA-KBAU continues its task as an umbrella organisation for all associations whose aim is to perpetuate and revive the links developed by its members on the ground. It also aims to support its members and be a conduit to the relevant authorities.

It escapes no one, least of all the press, that a counterculture has emerged in recent decades. The privileged links established in earlier years between Belgium and the African countries it governed have been subjected to severe shocks. In its efforts to foster cohesion and a fully shared common memory, the URBA-KBAU wants to play its role to the full and does not shy away from discussion. On the one hand, it brings the common points clearly to the fore, and on the other, it accepts reprimands for the shortcomings even more explicitly displayed by the historians.

Far from the prejudices and ” scientific truths ” of the 19th century, the URBA-KBAU rejoices in the breakthroughs in science and politics that have finally established that all human beings form one and the same race, one large family, in rich diversity, regardless of their origin or past. The United Nations fully endorsed this concept in the Durban Declaration of 8 September 2001.

Consequently, racism, wherever it comes from, should never have developed in our societies. Racism is only an attempt to dominate and reject the other, an attack on its dignity and a factor of division.

The URBA-KBAU stands for zero tolerance towards racism and wants to actively expose and combat it. New forms of racism, which have not yet all been exposed and are therefore not yet punishable under current legislation, should also be documented and denounced.

Belgium is a country that is completely open to the world. Despite all the colonisations it has endured itself for centuries, and those it temporarily imposed in Central Africa, it has managed to preserve its sense of hospitality and maintains the conviction that multicultural influences are an important asset for the community.

During all these centuries, Belgium has successfully nurtured diversity, which has always been, and remains, a source for greater prosperity, also with opportunities offered for all competences to flourish and be appreciated without discrimination.

An increasingly relevant diaspora of Congolese, Rwandans and Burundians in Belgium provides an opportunity for URBA-KBAU to inspire the emerging generations, both those from the North and the South, thus refining mutual understanding and a common outlook.

It is in this perspective that living together acquires its meaning and that URBA-KBAU wants to direct its action towards the future. Moreover, in this globalised world, everything calls for URBA-KBAU to also open up to the other African countries. Although less intensive, Belgium has been present there too, and remains known and recognised today. Taking into account a people-friendly globalisation, it pays to exploit this potential.

Admittedly, this ambitious programme can only be achieved with a lot of commitment from everyone. URBA-KBAU is counting on it!

Thank you for your support!

In a time spirit where collective memory is often reinterpreted, KBAU acknowledges the existence of multiple historical narratives linked to the Belgian colonial period in Central Africa. It believes that the right approach should allow everyone to know the past in all its diversity and avoid the pitfalls of a one-sided view, sometimes incomplete and out of context, which does not contribute to truth nor to understanding between peoples.

The deep regret expressed by His Majesty King Philip over the suffering caused by colonisation is an important first step towards improving mutual understanding. However, the URBA-KBAU believes that we should not limit ourselves to only the negative aspects, but also recognise the positive aspects that have ultimately characterised the current relations between Belgium and its former colonies.

URBA-KBAU wants to draw attention to the multiplicity of colonial memories and encourage a process of reflection that encompasses all facets of this period. It is necessary to avoid any preconceived view of history that would continue to fuel resentment in a society that wants to be diverse as well as respectful of everyone’s contributions.

With the intention of promoting constructive dialogue and close cooperation, the URBA-KBAU has assigned itself the following tasks :

1. To promote a plural and serene knowledge of colonial history, revealing both its failures and common successes ;
2. To defend the honour and dignity of the peoples of Belgium, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi;
3. To exercise zero tolerance towards discrimination and racism ;
4. To encourage mutual respect and friendship between Belgians and people from Central African countries; while supporting integration and better coexistence between communities ;
5. To pursue the expansion of institutional and personal contacts through joint achievements and initiatives that play to the benefit of both sides.

A call for commitment

The URBA-KBAU does not depend in any way on political support or subsidies. It therefore appeals to all those who endorse its aims to support them and thus strengthen its capacity for action. It invites everyone to join its constructive and open approach so that together we can make a positive difference.

The Cercle Royal Africain was founded on December 7, 1889 and chaired by General Albert Thys, the illustrious creator of the Bas-Congo railroad linking Matadi to Léopoldville.
The association had two aims: to foster patriotism among its members, and to develop a center for union, exchange of ideas, documentation and enjoyment.
It met regularly at 5 Place Royale, in the Globe tavern. At the celebration of its 50th anniversary in 1939, the association had 651 members.

On 1 June 1951, the Union Royale Coloniale Belge was founded in Brussels as an umbrella for the circles of friends of veterans that had already sprung up in various cities in the country, as well as the associations that were to follow later.

The Union Royale Coloniale Belge was founded with the generous cooperation, first of all of H.M. King Albert I who personally donated a substantial contribution, then of powerful commercial companies, and finally with an official contribution from the then Government. Minister of State Auguste Beernaert, who had been one of King Leopold II’s most loyal supporters, had an exceptional appropriation entered in the 1912 budget in favour of the new association that became the owner of the building located Rue de Stassart, 34 in Brussels.
Among the founders, apart from Auguste Beernaert, we find, among others, the names of Jules Renkin, Minister of Colonies, the Minister of Justice de Landsheere, the people’s representative Louis Franck, who became Minister of Colonies from 1918 to 1924, and the people’s representative Frans Van Cauwelaert. The main governing body of the Royal Belgian Colonial Union was chaired by Auguste Bernaert and later by Gérard Cooreman, president of the Chamber of Representatives.

The association had several objectives in mind ; first, propaganda in favour of colonial action, in addition, the organisation of conferences, the launching of an information service and of an African library, the setting up of preparatory courses for all those aiming at colonial careers, for whom no education was organised.

As the umbrella organisation of the colonial clubs, it looked after the collective actions of the associations and provided them with premises for their activities. On 18 December 1912, the Royal Belgian Colonial Circle left the Place Royale to also move to de rue de Stassart.

While 11 clubs formed the Union Royale Coloniale Belge in 1912, by its 25th anniversary in 1937 it had 52 members. It had organised 2782 conferences, developed a library that numbered more than 7,000 works, many of which were the last vestiges of lost collections or out-of-print editions. Colonial preparation courses had been attended by 4264 students among whom 88 per cent were surveyors.

After the independencies in the 1960s, the clubs incorporated cooperators and the association then changed its name to “Union Royale Belge pour les pays d’Outremer” for short (UROME)

In 2019, under the impetus of the Board of Directors, the Association’s new management set up its first summer university to reflect on its future and ensure its survival. It is after a democratic and participatory process that the Association was renamed ” Union Royale Belgo Africaine – Royal Belgian African Union ” (URBA-KBAU for short).

This revision of the statutes with a new name leans towards the evolution of relations between Belgium, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi and a new forward-looking basic approach, taking into account the role, sensitivities and growing place of diasporas in these relations. URBA-KBAU is now also open to associations of Congolese, Rwandans and Burundians who wish to support it in its mission to strengthen cooperation and friendship between these countries with respect for shared history and the hope of a positive future for all parties.