A ceremony was held on Monday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Brussels to commemorate Belgian military personnel who lost their lives during operations since 1945. A total of 254 names were read out loud.
The commemoration takes place annually on 7 April, the day when 10 Belgian servicemen were killed in Rwanda in 1994. Their names were read out, along with those of other soldiers who lost their lives during missions in Congo, Somalia, Korea and the former Yugoslavia.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Senate, the Chamber and the city of Brussels. The King’s representative fanned the eternal flame at the end of the ceremony. The national anthem was played and former soldiers and relatives of fallen soldiers laid flowers at the grave.
In a press release, Belgian Defence minister Theo Francken announced that his cabinet was working on a draft law to strengthen the rights of veterans. The draft includes free public transport for those who can prove at least 365 days of operational service. In addition, Francken advocates a culture of “thank you for your service”, with veterans being given priority when boarding a plane, for example.
