Belgian court weighs trial for ex-diplomat over Patrice Lumumba killing
A portrait of slain Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba is carried as his remains leave for Shilatembo where the leader was killed along with two of his compatriots, at the airport in Lubumbashi, June 26, 2022. GUERCHOM NDEBO / AFP A Belgian court will hold a hearing on Tuesday, January 20, on whether a former senior diplomat should go on trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. The family of the independence icon has been pushing for the past 15 years for what they say is a long-overdue legal reckoning over the complicity of Belgian officials in his murder. "This is not about revenge, but about a thirst for knowledge," Roland Lumumba, one of Patrice's sons, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "Millions of people would like to know the truth." Some 65 years after Lumumba was executed and his body dissolved in acid by separatists with the help of mercenaries from former colonial power Belgium, only one ex-official is still alive to face justice. That is 93-year-old Étienne Davignon, a one-time European Commissioner, who was a novice Belgian diplomat at the time of Lumumba's killing. He is accused by Belgian federal prosecutors of involvement in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of Lumumba, as well as "humiliating and degrading treatment." Davignon has always denied Belgian authorities' involvement in the murder, and his lawyer declined to comment to AFP before Tuesday's closed-door hearing The killing of Lumumba – who became prime minister at independence in 1960 – is one of the many dark chapters in the grim history of Belgian involvement in what became modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo. Partner service Learn French with Gymglish Thanks to a daily lesson, an original story and a personalized correction, in 15 minutes per day. Try for free Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We’d love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey New Le Monde’s app Get the most out of your experience: download the app to enjoy Le Monde in English anywhere, anytime Download His family says there was a "vast conspiracy" involving Belgian officials to eliminate the Congolese leader. "Refusing this trial would amount to definitively confirming the impunity for major colonial crimes," said Christophe Marchand, a lawyer for the family. The court is expected to deliver its decision on whether to hold a trial within weeks. Marchand said he hopes it would then take place in early 2027. The Belgian probe into potential "war crimes" in the Congo has already led to one macabre discovery: one of Lumumba's teeth, the only known remains of the assassinated leader. The tooth was seized from the daughter of a deceased Belgian police officer who had been involved in the disappearance of the body. It was returned to DRC authorities in a coffin during an official ceremony in 2022. During the handover, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo reiterated the government's "apologies" for its "moral responsibility" in Lumumba's disappearance. De Croo pointed the finger at Belgian officials who at the time "chose not to see" and "not to act." After entering the diplomatic service in 1959, Davignon rose through the ranks after his early involvement in Congolese independence talks. In the early 1980s, he gained more prominence when he was named a vice-president in charge of industry of the European Commission. Le Monde with AFP
