Belgian court rules 93-year-old ex-diplomat can stand trial for 1961 killing of Congo PM Lumumba

A Brussels court has cleared the way for the trial of a former Belgian diplomat accused of involvement in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first prime minister, more than six decades after his death.

Etienne Davignon, now 93, faces charges related to the unlawful detention, transfer, and degrading treatment of Lumumba, who was executed by firing squad in January 1961. The case, brought by Lumumba’s family in 2011, names Davignon as the sole surviving defendant among ten Belgians originally accused.

Davignon, who was a trainee diplomat at the time of the killing, later rose to become a vice-president of the European Commission.

‘Belgium Is Finally Confronting Its History’

The ruling has been welcomed by Lumumba’s descendants, who have spent decades seeking justice for the slain independence hero.

“We are all relieved,” Mehdi Lumumba, the leader’s grandson, told AFP following the court’s decision. “Belgium is finally confronting its history.”

The ruling remains subject to appeal.

A Colonial Reckoning

Patrice Lumumba was appointed prime minister in June 1960 after Congo gained independence from Belgium, becoming one of the most powerful voices in Africa’s anti-colonial movement. On independence day, the 34-year-old leader delivered a blistering speech before King Baudouin, condemning Belgium for subjecting the Congolese to “humiliating slavery.”

Belgium viewed Lumumba as a threat to its continued economic and political influence in the resource-rich region. He was ousted in a coup in September 1960, captured two months later, and shot alongside two associates in January 1961 with Belgium’s tacit backing.

Although Lumumba denied being a communist, Western powers including the United States viewed him with suspicion during the Cold War. A 1975 US Senate inquiry revealed that the CIA had plotted to assassinate him, though the plan was never carried out. Lumumba was ultimately killed by Belgian-backed Congolese forces.

Decades of Acknowledgment

Belgium has since recognized its responsibility in the killing. The former colonial power has issued official apologies both to Lumumba’s family and to the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2022, Lumumba’s only surviving remains—a single tooth—were laid to rest in Kinshasa, decades after his body was dissolved in acid to prevent the discovery of a grave.

The trial, should it proceed, would mark a significant moment in Belgium’s ongoing reckoning with its colonial past and its role in the assassination of one of Africa’s foundational post-independence leaders.