Étienne Davignon, a 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat who became the first person charged in the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba, has died before he could stand trial. His death was confirmed by the Jacques Delors Institute thinktank, where he served on the board.

In March, Davignon was ordered to stand trial for war crimes for alleged involvement in the extra-judicial killing of Lumumba 65 years ago, a final attempt to shed light on one of the 20th century’s most consequential political assassinations.

Lumumba, elected the first prime minister of the now-Democratic Republic of the Congo upon independence from Belgium in 1960, was ousted months later and killed by Belgian-backed secessionist rebels on 16 January 1961. The murder was a dark chapter in Belgium’s colonial history.

Prosecutors said Davignon, a junior diplomat at the time, participated in the unlawful detention or transfer of Lumumba and deprived him of his right to an impartial trial. He was also accused of involvement in the murder of two of Lumumba’s political allies, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito.

Davignon denied any wrongdoing and was awaiting the outcome of an appeal against the Belgian court’s decision to order him to stand trial. The court’s decision had been welcomed by the Lumumba family, who called it "the beginning of a reckoning that history has long demanded."

Davignon was the last person still alive to be targeted by the Belgian investigation. After his Congo assignment, he rose to become a leading figure in the Belgian establishment, serving as European commissioner from 1977-85.

Source: www.theguardian.com