Belgian ex-diplomat to stand trial for complicity in assassination of first Congolese PM

Former Belgian diplomat, the 93-year-old Etienne Davignon, has been ordered to stand trial for his role in the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba.

Lumumba was an independence trailblazer for the Congolese Republic, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Congo won its independence from colonial Belgium back in June 1960, after which Lumumba became the first elected Prime Minister.

However, his time in the role was cut drastically short. In September 1960, he was ousted in a political coup. Then, in January 1961, Belgian-backed secessionist mercenaries assassinated Lumumba and dissolved his body in acid.

Lumumba — a moral responsibility

It was only in 2002 that Belgium admitted moral responsibility for Lumumba’s assassination. As reported by Al Jazeera: 

The only known remains of the killed leader, a single gold-capped tooth, were taken from the daughter of a deceased Belgian officer who was involved in the disappearance of his remains.

During a ceremony in 2022, his remains were returned in a coffin to DRC’s authorities.

Belgian PM Alexander De Croo also reiterated his government’s apologies at the time.

On 17 March 2026, a Belgian court ruled that Davignon could stand trial for his role in Lumumba’s murder. At the time, Davignon was a junior diplomat, although he later became vice-president of the European Commission.

Lumumba’s remaining family brought the case to the Belgian courts some 15 years ago. Yema Lumumba, the former leader’s granddaughter, called the ruling a “step in the right direction”, adding that:

What we want is to search for truth and establish different responsibilities.

The family has accused ten Belgians of complicity in the former PM’s murder. However, Davignon is the only member of the accused still living.

Colonial crimes

The prosecutors allege that the ex-diplomat participated in Lumumba’s unlawful detention and transfer. Furthermore, they maintain that Davignon was complicit in denying Lumumba’s right to a fair trial, and subjecting him to “humiliating and degrading treatment”.

Davignon likewise stands accused of complicity in the murders of Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito. Both were prominent allies of Lumumba.

Taken together, these accusations amount to war crimes.

Christophe Marchand, the Lumumba family’s lawyer, called the ruling a “gigantic victory”. He also told AFP that:

No one believed when we first brought the case in 2011 that Belgium would prove capable of seriously investigating this. It’s very hard for a country to judge its own colonial crimes.

However, Davignon’s liability for trial is still subject to appeal. Should it go ahead, the case would be the first and only trial for any Belgian diplomat in the 65 years since the Congolese PM’s assassination.

Although Belgium had nominally relinquished its hold on the country, it aided and abetted Lumumba’s murder because the independence leader would have weakened Belgium’s continued influence over its ‘former’ colony.

This is neocolonialism at work — the maintenance of Europe’s invisible power over the countries it once dominated by force. Davignon’s trial would be a step towards justice, but it is 65 years late, 9 Belgians short, and a drop in the ocean against a horrific colonial history.

Featured image via the Canary