A Brussels court on Tuesday ruled that 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat and European Commission vice-president Etienne Davignon must stand trial over war crimes linked to the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The case represents a historic moment in confronting Belgium's colonial past, as Davignon is the only surviving suspect among ten Belgians accused by Lumumba's family of complicity in his murder.

Prosecutors alleged that Davignon played a role in Lumumba's unlawful detention, transfer, and denial of an impartial trial, and subjected him to "humiliating and degrading treatment." The defendant's lawyers denied all charges, arguing that the events occurred too long ago to be prosecuted. Lumumba rose to power when Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960 but was ousted and assassinated months later by Belgian-backed secessionist forces in Katanga; his body was dissolved in acid and never recovered.

At the time of the assassination, Davignon was a young diplomat involved in Congolese independence talks and later became a prominent figure in European politics. The Brussels court expanded the scope of the trial beyond prosecutors' requests to include Lumumba's allies Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, who were killed alongside him. The family's lawyer, Christophe Marchand, described this as "a gigantic victory," noting that "no one believed when we first brought the case in 2011 that Belgium would seriously investigate this, as it's very hard for a country to judge its own colonial crimes."

The long-running investigation has uncovered grim details following Lumumba's killing: in 2022, the only known remains of Lumumba—a single tooth—were returned to Congo. The tooth had been seized from the daughter of a Belgian police officer implicated in the disappearance of Lumumba's body. The handover included official apologies from then-Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who acknowledged Belgium's "moral responsibility" and the failure of officials who "chose not to see" and "not to act." Lumumba remains an anti-colonial icon in Congo, symbolizing the ongoing reckoning with historical injustices.

This trial marks a significant step in addressing colonial-era atrocities, though it faces challenges due to the passage of time and legal complexities. The proceedings are expected to draw international attention as Belgium grapples with its legacy in Central Africa, highlighting broader issues of accountability and reconciliation in post-colonial contexts.

Source: www.dw.com