Belgium Moves Closer to Historic Trial Over Patrice Lumumba’s Killing

Belgian prosecutors have announced on Tuesday,June 17 their intention to prosecute 92-year-old former diplomat Etienne Davignon for alleged involvement in the 1961 assassination of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba.

Davignon is the sole surviving member of a group of ten Belgians named in a 2011 lawsuit by Lumumba’s children,who accused them of complicity in the murder. At the time of Lumumba’s execution in Katanga,Davignon was a trainee diplomat. He now faces charges related to the “unlawful detention and transfer” of Lumumba,as well as his “humiliating and degrading treatment,” though prosecutors have opted to drop the charge of intent to kill.

The case marks a significant step in Belgium’s decades-long reckoning with its colonial history in Congo. Lumumba,Congo’s first prime minister,was a vocal critic of Belgian rule and was executed at age 35 after being ousted in a Western-backed coup. His body was dissolved in acid,and only a single tooth,returned to his family in 2022,remains as evidence of his death. A hearing scheduled for January 2026 will determine whether Davignon will stand trial,potentially marking the first instance of a Belgian official facing legal accountability for the assassination. Lumumba’s daughter,Juliana,welcomed the progress,stating that their primary pursuit remains truth and justice.