The Azerbaijani-government linked Baku Initiative Group will host a conference ‘dedicated to Belgium’s colonial past and its current severe consequences’. Critics of similar events in the past, primarily about France, have argued that they are primarily motivated by support for Armenia, rather than a genuine desire to condemn colonialism.
The conference, entitled, ‘Belgian Colonialism: Recognition and Responsibility’, will be held on 31 October in Baku.
The event is reportedly the first of its kind to detail Belgian colonialism and neocolonialism, the Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet APA reported on Wednesday.
Speakers will discuss atrocities committed by the Belgian Empire in Africa, particularly in modern-day Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The conference will also address ‘the ongoing exploitation of the resources of the mentioned countries as a result of Belgium’s neocolonial policies in the former colonial territories’, as well as the issue of possible reparations.
The Baku Initiative Group has held a number of similar events critiquing French colonialism and its modern-day impacts, including at the UN. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, officials, and government-linked media, have also repeatedly castigated France over the legacy of French colonialism. Much of the criticism has been personally levied at French President Emmanuel Macron.
Earlier in October, Aliyev said ‘past misunderstandings’ between Azerbaijan and France had been resolved, and that the two countries were heading towards a new era of bilateral relations.
However, pro-government media in Azerbaijan has continued to attack France — on Tuesday, Caliber published an article suggesting that an heir to French King Louis XVI would challenge Macron.
In September, the same outlet repeatedly smeared Macron, including platforming US conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier Candace Owens, who is embroiled in a lawsuit with Macron after she released an ‘investigation’ claiming his wife, Brigitte Macron, is actually a man.
While the attacks against France are long-thought to be primarily motivated by resentment over French support for Armenia, it is not clear what has prompted similar moves against Belgium.
In March 2025, the Armenian government passed a decision to send a Defence Attaché to the EU and Belgium. At the time, Armenia’s Defence Ministry said military cooperation with Belgium ‘can also play a positive role in the development of [Armenia]’s defence capability and resilience in the long term’.
Shortly after, the Azerbaijani pro-government media outlet Azernews published an article under the headline ‘Belgium’s support for Armenia risks undermining international law and regional stability’.
The article cited comments made by Belgian MP Els Van Hoof, who said that Belgium ‘stands in defence of Armenians’ because Belgium and Armenia share the same democratic values.
‘It is particularly ironic that Belgium — whose colonial past is marred by exploitation, imperialism, and historical atrocities — would invoke these values while supporting a country that occupied Azerbaijani lands for over three decades’.
The article further argued that ‘it is likely that the Armenian lobby has once again worked its magic, influencing Belgian politicians with misleading information about the South Caucasus’.
Bahruz Samadov
