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The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Lumumba everlasting': Belgium marks Congo's slain leader's 100th birthday with exhibition
If he had lived, Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would have marked his 100th birthday this month (on 2 July). This unreached milestone is being marked by an exhibition in Brussels at a time when Belgium, the former colonial power, is facing renewed questions about his death. Lumumba was 35 when he was overthrown during a political crisis, then tortured and assassinated by a firing squad in January 1961, along with two associates, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo. Nearly 65 years after the murders, which were carried out by Congolese rivals with the support of Belgian officers, Lumumba's family are still searching for answers. In an unexpected development in June, Belgium's federal prosecutor referred a 92-year-old former diplomat, Étienne Davignon, to the Brussels criminal court over alleged war crimes related to the killings. Davignon, who was dispatched to Congo as a 28-year-old diplomatic intern on the eve of independence in 1960, is the only survivor among 10 former officials accused by the Lumumba family in 2011 of involvement in his assassination. The charges relate to Lumumba's unlawful detention, his denial of a fair trial and 'humiliating and degrading treatment', although a charge of intent to kill has been dismissed. Davignon has denied all claims of involvement. Christophe Marchand, a lawyer for the Lumumba family, said: 'The idea is to have a judicial trial and to have the truth about what happened, not only the role of Étienne Davignon – because he was one part in the whole criminal plan.' Lumumba was a charismatic champion of Congolese independence who made some disastrous decisions during his short-lived premiership. One historian has described his assassination as Congo's 'original sin' that shattered hopes of unity and prosperity in the newly independent country. In 2001 a parliamentary inquiry concluded that Belgian ministers bore a moral responsibility for the events that led to the Congolese leader's gruesome death. Marchand said the parliamentary inquiry had made clear that 'Belgian civil servants took an active part in the transfer of Lumumba from Léopoldville (Kinshasa) to Katanga', where he was murdered. Although the lawyer thought the investigation should have begun earlier, he considered it very significant that Belgium's highest prosecutor had now concluded there was enough evidence for a trial. 'There are very few cases where a former colonial state agrees to address colonial crimes and to consider that they have to be tried … even if it's a very long time after,' Marchand said. A hearing has been scheduled for January 2026, when a judge will decide if a trial should go ahead. Davignon has rejected the case as 'absurd'. The aristocrat is a scion of the Belgian establishment, a former vice-president of the European Commission, who has been involved in numerous Belgian blue chip companies. Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Speaking to SudInfo this July, Davignon said he had been questioned by the earlier parliamentary inquiry 'where it was found that I had no direct or indirect responsibility for what happened to Lumumba'. He accused the prosecution of being overzealous and 'having gone into things a bit blindly'. Belgium's foreign ministry said it was not able to comment out of respect for the separation of powers, while noting that it was not implicated in the prosecutor's dossier. Nancy Mariam Kawaya, a coordinator at the Congolese Cultural Centre, which is hosting the Lumumba centenary exhibition, said: 'The murder needs to be judged so Belgium can be at peace with the story, so the Congolese can be at peace with the story and we can write a new chapter. 'I want to trust that justice will do its work now,' she added. The exhibition, she said, sought to widen the focus beyond Lumumba's death. The subject of his violent end 'takes so much space' that 'we don't realise that people don't know who he was, his ideas … What was actually his fight?' The small exhibition of paintings by Congolese artists at the cultural centre seeks to fill that gap. One artist imagines an idealised centenarian Lumumba, with cropped grey-white hair, gazing enigmatically into the distance. There are more unsettling works. Another painting depicts modern-day Kinshasa as an unpopulated metropolis of skyscrapers and soup of rubbish, reflecting the scourge of modern-day plastic pollution in the Congolese capital. In another work Lumumba, crowned with a halo, sits on a plastic chair in a rubbish dump as two shoeless young boys stretch out their hands. One of the boys, his hands dripping in blood, is holding a smartphone – a bleak reference to the minerals used to power the world's devices that have fuelled years of conflict in the DRC. Opened in 2023 by the city of Brussels, the Congolese Cultural Centre is part of efforts to turn the page on Belgium's fraught relationship with its former colonies. The exhibition, which runs until 30 July, is entitled Lumumba Sans Temps, a play on words. Sans temps (without time, or everlasting) sounds like 100 years (cent ans) in French and is intended to underline the timelessness, say organisers, of Lumumba's message of unity, rather than division along religious or ethnic lines. 'Lumumba remains our contemporary,' contends Dady Mbumba, the exhibition's curator. 'Lumumba fought for liberty, for equality, for unity,' he said, stressing the importance of the latter after decades of conflict in the DRC. Mbumba, who was born in Congo and lives in Belgium, wants better knowledge of Lumumba's life and the colonial past in both countries. 'It is a history that we share … although difficult and painful.'
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
History in photographs at Bengaluru's Indian Institute of World Culture
India's fight for freedom triggered a ripple effect among other nations buckling under colonial oppression; and among these was the African nation of Congo. Patrice Lumumba was a Congolese politician who lead his country to independence and had close ties to Indian leaders of the time. A photo exhibition titled The Undying Flame of Patrice Lumumba, is currently on display in Bengaluru. Organised by the Intercivilizational Dialogue Project and the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) the show not only shines a spotlight on African freedom struggles, but also celebrates Patrice's birth centenary. Curated by Archishman Raju and Nandita Chaturvedi, and organised by Arakali Venkatesh at IIWC, the show is a history lesson in pictures. According to Nandita, the purpose of this show is two-fold: to explore India's connection to the world and understand the exchange of ideas between different civilizations. 'At one point in time, Patrice Lumumba was known everywhere in the world and when he was assassinated in 1961, there were protests in all the major Indian cities. We felt it was important to bring this period in history back in to public awareness.' During that times lost to recent history, the Indian government was involved in the crisis in the Congo and Nehru wrote many letters to the UN Secretary General. Large scale protests were also organised by Aruna Asaf Ali in Delhi. 'Following the assassination of Patrice, Nehru sent the Indian Army to help with the situation there. This was also part of the peace movement to let people all over the world know about the struggles against colonialism going on in different nations,' she says, adding that the Indian freedom movement became a case study for almost all of Africa that was under colonialism in 1947. Ghana was one of the first sub Saharan African country to gain independence, largely through the efforts of Kwame Nkrumah, who employed methods of civil disobedience in their own struggle. Though there are many examples of African leaders taking a page or two out of India's fight for freedom, the exhibition focuses on Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Oliver Tambo of South Africa and Amilcar Cabral of Guinea Bissau, as well as WEB Du Bois, the father of the Pan African Movement. Though leaders of the African movement studied India's approach, in many areas it took on a different character due to varying conditions. For instance, the Belgians did not train native Congolese in administration, while we had a 100-year-long struggle, which gave us time to prepare unlike many African nations which were left in chaos, says Nandita. 'The exhibition is also dedicated to ES Reddy, an Indian diplomat, who used to be leader of the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid from 1963 to 1965. Though he lived most of his life in the United States, he was deeply involved in the anti-apartheid struggle and may be better known in South Africa than in India today,' she adds. As a student, Reddy participated in the Quit India movement, and while in the United States for higher studies, he met activist Paul Robeson, who got him involved in the African movement. Reddy also developed a close friendship with Oliver Tambo, one of the central figures in the South African movement. 'In a way, Reddy is a bridge between the two nations and the show is dedicated to him too as it was his birth centenary last year,' she adds. The different rooms of the IIWC not only highlights the series of events that stand out during the freedom struggle of these nations, but also documents the alliances and mutual support between world leaders. Needless to say, the 65 photographs on display are mostly in black and white, interspersed with quotes from nation heads and a copy African National Congress Freedom Charter. According to Nandita, a lot of the images on display have been made available by the United Nations and many of the photographers who believed their work served a broader purpose. These images can be accessed at and 'We are living in a time when the world is shifting and political relationships are being remade — both between the West and other nations as well as between nations that were once known as Third World. We feel useful relationships can lift people out of poverty and promote peace,' says Nandita talking about the purpose of behind such events by the Intercivilizational Dialogue Project. The Undying Flame of Patrice Lumumba is on display at the Indian Institute of World Culture till July 25 (will possibly be extended / relocated). Entry free.
Russia Today
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Patrice Lumumba's struggle was global, not just African
Patrice Lumumba's fight for justice and freedom went beyond Africa and had a global impact, his daughter Juliana has told RT in an exclusive interview. The former minister of culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo emphasized that her father's fight became – both for the Soviet Union and for Africa – 'an emblem of the anti-colonial struggle and for ideals, in any case also against neocolonialism.' The strength of that solidarity was made visible through symbolic gestures such as 'the naming of avenues in his honor,' she noted. Lumumba's 'struggle for justice and freedom was not limited to Africa and transcended borders,' she added. While many countries condemned Lumumba's assassination in 1961, 'it was strongest in the Soviet Union,' where the Peoples' Friendship University was named after her father, Juliana Lumumba said. That same university in Moscow 'still bears his name today as Patrice Lumumba University' and has produced many African specialists and numerous African leaders, including in the DC Congo, she noted. According to Lumumba, this reflects a form of 'geopolitical continuity… a solidarity that is present, real, and continues.' Turning to Africa's own future, Juliana Lumumba stressed that 'breaking free from neocolonialism can only be accomplished by unity.' Genuine African solidarity, she said, is being translated into action. 'For example, there's more trade between African countries because we have more trade with each other than with foreigners, European countries or the US,' Lumumba added. 'There's this desire which is becoming stronger and stronger.' Juliana Lumumba previously described her father as a 'truly iconic figure' of African dignity, who 'symbolizes... liberation, the Africa that he wanted to see independent, standing on its own feet, united.' Patrice Lumumba was born in 1925 and died in 1961. He was the first democratically elected prime minister of the DR Congo following its liberation from Belgian colonial rule in 1960. His murder was the result of a complex conspiracy involving both domestic Congolese actors and foreign powers, particularly Belgium. On January 17, 1961, Lumumba and his comrades were shot by Katangese soldiers under the command of Belgian officers and buried at the site of the shooting. The following day, the bodies were dug up, dismembered, and dissolved in acid.
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Experience the powerful film screenings honouring Lumumba, Fanon, and Kriel in Cape Town
The first screening taking place will be that of 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'État' on July 4, at the Africa Unite office located on 6 Spin Street, Cape Town. The film screening is set to begin at 3.30pm. Image: Supplied Cinephiles and pan-African activists are encouraged to attend the forthcoming film screenings reflecting on not only the legacy of Patrice Lumumba but also Frantz Fanon and Ashley Kriel. The first screening taking place will be that of 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'État' on July 4, at the Africa Unite office located on 6 Spin Street, Cape Town. The film screening is set to begin at 3.30pm. The event will include a meet and greet among attendees, as well as a question and answer session. The screening is inviting people to reflect on the life and ideals of Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It will include a gathering of advocacy actors, activists, communities, families, and human rights networks in Cape Town, where they will interrogate the foreign influences on geopolitical instabilities in Africa with the Congo Basin as a focal point. The movie, 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'État', is a powerful documentary by Johan Grimonprez that explores the intersection of jazz, politics, and decolonisation, focusing on jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Nina Simone in their roles as cultural ambassadors during the 1960s. With a rich combination of archival footage, historical narrative, and unforgettable musical performances, the film reveals how these artists became unwitting players in the CIA's plot to assassinate Lumumba in 1960. The documentary highlights the important protests of powerful women like singer Abbey Lincoln and activist Andrée Blouin, while probing the murky alliances between Western powers and the local forces behind the assassination. Cinephiles and pan-African activists are encouraged to attend the forthcoming film screenings reflecting on not only the legacy of Patrice Lumumba but also Frantz Fanon and Ashley Kriel. Image: Supplied Adwa Movement PRO and Africa Unite peer educator, Ras Hein, said: 'An awareness of our past is essential to the establishment of our personality and our identity as Africans. 'As young pan-African practitioners, we advance the ideal that 'the People will praxis'. In the context of Congolese independence celebrated on June 30, and Patrice Lumumba, DRC's first prime minister, who turns 100 on July 2. 'We have organised this tribute event as a collective of civil society organisations, practitioners, creatives, and activists. The DRC represents the heart of Africa. In the words of Frantz Fanon, who turns 100 on July 20: 'Let us be sure never to forget it; the fate of all of us is at stake in the Congo'.' In conjunction with the first screening, there will also be the Ashley Kriel Memorial Cypher taking place on July 11 to honour Cape Flats anti-apartheid activist and youth leader Kriel, who was murdered by police. The event, taking place at the Castle of Good Hope at 5pm, is in commemoration of his legacy of leadership and the contribution that youth across South Africa played in the Struggle against apartheid. The Ashley Kriel Memorial Cypher is an autonomous annual initiative that recognises that young progressives today, as in the past, have a critical role to play in the conscientisation of grassroots communities. The event will include the screening of his documentary as well. Cinephiles and pan-African activists are encouraged to attend the forthcoming film screenings reflecting on not only the legacy of Patrice Lumumba but also Frantz Fanon and Ashley Kriel. Image: Supplied Thereafter, there will also be another screening of Göran Hugo Olsson's 2014 documentary 'Concerning Violence' on July 15 to mark the centenary of the birth of psychiatrist, political philosopher, and Marxist Fanon. The film is a 2014 documentary film based on Fanon's essay, "Concerning Violence" from his 1961 book "The Wretched of the Earth". American singer and actor Lauryn Hill narrates this exploration of the anticolonial struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. '2025 presents us with important Africa liberation struggle commemorations: 100 years of Patrice Lumumba, 140 Years of the Berlin conference colonial project, and a 100 years of Fanon, as grassroots community leaders, advocacy space organisers and civil society organisations, we know it is important to create these spaces of alternative education,' Hein said. Cinephiles and pan-African activists are encouraged to attend the forthcoming film screenings reflecting on not only the legacy of Patrice Lumumba but also Frantz Fanon and Ashley Kriel. Image: Supplied Hein said there are strong xenophobic currents in society, and that it is important to combat so that social cohesion can prosper. 'All of these dimensions (Kriel, Fanon and Lumumba) make up proper consciousness… It is different events, but usually it is the same networks (that is) growing and attracting people who want authentic and genuine grassroots initiatives like this.' [email protected]
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
65 years on, Belgium edges closer to trial over Lumumba's assassination
Sixty-five years after the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, a key figure in the Congolese independence movement, the Belgian federal prosecutor's office hopes that a trial may finally take place – possibly in 2026 – as part of the investigation into 'war crimes' opened in Belgium, the former colonial power. The Belgian federal prosecutor's office announced during the week that it had requested the referral of former Belgian diplomat Étienne Davignon to the Brussels criminal court, as part of the investigation into the 1961 assassination of former prime minister Patrice Lumumba. Aged 92, Étienne Davignon is the only person still alive among the ten suspects named in the 2011 war crimes complaint filed by Lumumba's children. The referral to trial is requested notably for the 'illegal detention and transfer' of Lumumba at the time he was taken prisoner, and for 'humiliating and degrading treatment', a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, Ann Lukowiak, told French news agency AFP. An 'intent to kill' charge has not been retained - a dismissal is sought on that aspect, she added. Last remains of Congolese independence hero Lumumba to return home Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister of the former Belgian Congo, after it became independent on 30 June 1960, but he was overthrown in mid-September 1960 by a coup d'état. Reflecting on the conditions of this 'terrible' assassination, De Croo pointed to Belgian officials who at the time 'chose not to see' and 'not to act.' Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:From 1960 to present day, 11 dates that explain the conflict in the DRCBelgium to pay damages for forced separations in Congo during colonial ruleBelgium finally returns murdered DRC leader Lumumba's tooth
