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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
