Matonge

Belgium / Brussel / Brussels /
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Ixelles is known throughout Belgium for its high population of people of African origins. This population is mainly concentrated in the environs of Porte de Namur intersection, renamed popularly as Matongé or Matongué after the marketplace and the commercial district with the same name in Kalamu, Kinshasa. The core of Matongé was formed in late 1950s by the foundation of Maisaf (Maison Africaine, "African House") which served as a centre for university students from the Belgian Congo. After the independence of Congo, the district faced an influx of immigrants from Congo who shaped the neighbourhood in a style to resemble the original Matongé. There are also communities from other African countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Mali, Cameroon, and Senegal present in the district. The famous shopping arcade Galerie d'Ixelles is located in the heart of Matongé.

The district also attained notoriety from early 2000s with gang violence perpetrated by African gangs like Black Démolition. It was the scene of race riots in January 2001. Matongé, with its more recent immigrant communities from Latin America, Pakistan, and India along with African ones, is seen as a symbol of multiculturalism in Belgium.
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Coordinates:   50°50'12"N   4°21'59"E

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  • tha african place in Brussels
This article was last modified 11 years ago