Albert II, King of DR Congo

Headlining with "Crowd acclaims arrival of ‘its’ king," Le Soir reports that one million people turned out to welcome King Albert II and Queen Paola to Kinshasa on 28 June. After months of controversy, the Belgian royal couple have finally arrived to attend 50th anniversary celebrations of the former colony's independence. The Belgian daily takes issue with "the procrastination of politicians who were slow to authorise a visit" that was “eagerly awaited by the people of DR Congo.” In Belgium questions had been raised about the Joseph Kabila regime, and the appropriateness of the approval implied by the presence of King Albert II.