Former Belgian official may face trial for role in Patrice Lumumba’s assassination
Patrice Lumumba was executed by a firing squad and his body was dissolved in acid. Only a gold-crowned tooth remained which Belgium formally returned to his family in 2022.
Belgian prosecutors are looking to prosecute a 92-year-old ex-diplomat for his suspected involvement in the 1961 assassination of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba.
Etienne Davignon has been implicated in Lumumba's arrest and handover, as well as the inhumane treatment he endured while in custody.
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Lumumba was executed by a firing squad, and his body was dissolved in acid. Only a gold-crowned tooth remained, which Belgium formally returned to his family in 2022.
In 2001, a Belgian parliamentary commission of inquiry found that Belgium held "moral responsibility" for Lumumba's assassination. The following year, the Belgian government formally apologised to both Lumumba's family and the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 2011, Lumumba's children filed a case in Belgium seeking justice for his assassination, which occurred with the full support of Belgium.
Media reports indicate that Davignon is the last surviving member of a group of 10 Belgians accused of being complicit in Lumumba's murder.
A court will now determine whether Davignon, a former Vice-Chairman of the European Commission, should stand trial, with a hearing set for January 2026.
"We're moving in the right direction. What we're seeking is, first and foremost, the truth, "Lumumba's daughter, Juliana, told Belgian Broadcaster RTBF, while welcoming the development.
Lumumba became the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo when the country gained independence from Belgium in June 1960. However, his leadership was quickly challenged as the newly independent and mineral-rich nation descended into political chaos.
A secessionist crisis erupted in the mineral-rich Katanga province, and Belgian troops intervened under the pretext of protecting their nationals, while also backing the Katangan separatist administration.
Amid the turmoil, President Joseph Kasa-Vubu dismissed Lumumba, and shortly after, army chief Joseph Mobutu seized power. Lumumba was then placed under house arrest. He managed to escape, but was re-arrested in December 1960 and detained in western Congo.
He was later transferred, at Belgium's encouragement, to Katanga on January 16, 1961. En route and upon arrival, he was beaten before being executed by a firing squad the next day alongside two close allies.
His body was initially buried, then exhumed, dismembered and dissolved in acid to erase all traces.
Lumumba's journey from Prime Minister to assassination took less than seven months.
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