Belgian court orders trial over Patrice Lumumba’s 1961 assassination

A court in Brussels has ruled that a former senior Belgian diplomat must face trial over the killing of Patrice Lumumba, in a renewed effort to clarify the unresolved circumstances surrounding his death.

Lumumba, who became the first prime minister of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo after gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, was removed from office within months and assassinated on January 16, 1961, by separatist forces backed by Belgium.

A Belgian parliamentary inquiry in 2002 determined that Belgium bore “moral responsibility” for his killing. However, the upcoming trial of Etienne Davignon, now 93, marks the first time anyone has been prosecuted in connection with the case. Davignon, a former EU Commissioner, was a junior diplomat during that period.

Prosecutors allege that Davignon was involved in Lumumba’s unlawful detention and transfer, denying him the right to a fair trial and subjecting him to degrading treatment. He also faces accusations linked to the killings of two of Lumumba’s associates, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito. All other suspects in the case are deceased.

Davignon did not appear in court for the ruling, and his lawyer offered no immediate response.

Although Lumumba’s time in office lasted only three months, he became a powerful symbol of anti-colonial resistance during Africa’s wave of independence movements in the 1960s and is still widely revered.

His assassination marked a troubling chapter for Congo, a country rich in resources such as copper, cobalt, gold and uranium, yet plagued by years of dictatorship and armed conflict since independence.

While Lumumba publicly maintained neutrality, his outreach to the Soviet Union during the Cold War raised concerns among Western powers, and some historians have suggested the possible involvement of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in his death.

The case was initially brought forward by Lumumba’s surviving relatives and later taken up by Belgian federal prosecutors. His granddaughter, Yema Lumumba, described the ruling as progress, saying the family seeks truth and accountability.

After his time in Congo, Davignon built a prominent career, serving as the first head of the International Energy Agency and as a European Commissioner from 1977 to 1985. He later chaired the Belgian holding firm Société Générale de Belgique and held board positions in several major companies.

In 2018, he was granted the title of count by King Philippe.