Vote for the Tshokwe Cihongo mask from 15 September

ENFORCE, the Belgian Center of Expertise for Forensic Wood Research, is celebrating its third anniversary. What exactly does the work involve, and what are the successes and challenges? Follow researcher Michael Monnoye during a typical day in the timber analysis laboratory at the AfricaMuseum.

On 6 February 2026, the PROCHE project organised a workshop bringing together researchers, experts and members of civil society to formulate recommendations for the future of institutional provenance research in Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The following day, 7 February, these recommendations were discussed at an open forum attended by institutional partners, the University of Kinshasa and the Institute of National Museums of Congo. This exchange provided an opportunity to present the proposals to the public, gather critical feedback and collectively enrich the discussion.

In the fast-growing cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, heavy rainfall creates thousands of large gullies. Houses are swallowed by these deep erosion channels, causing an estimated 12,000 Congolese to lose their homes each year.