A Belgian court on Tuesday ordered 93-year-old former diplomat Etienne Davignon to stand trial for his role in the 1961 assassination of Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) first elected prime minister Patrice Lumumba.
Davignon, who was a junior diplomatic intern at the time of the assassination, is the first person prosecuted in the case. He is the last living suspect among 10 Belgian diplomats who allegedly assisted in the unlawful abduction and transfer of Lumumba that ultimately led to his death. The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office charged Davignon with “participation in war crimes” and has also investigated him for his involvement in the murders of two of Lumumba’s political allies, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito.
As DRC’s first prime minister, Lumumba pushed for independence from Belgium. Given its vast stores of gold, cobalt, uranium, and other mineral resources, the public hailed Lumumba as an anti-colonial icon. He served for three months in 1960 before he was forced out and killed the following year.
While Lumumba’s killers were Congolese rebels, the Parliamentary Committee of Belgium concluded in 2002 that “certain members of the Belgian government and other Belgian participants were morally responsible for the circumstances leading to the death of Lumumba.” It also noted that the United States acted behind the scenes to organize active opposition against Lumumba, creating the “the first plans of physical elimination.”
The push for a criminal case came about in 2011, when Lumumba’s children demanded justice for their father in light of Belgium’s involvement in his assassination, including its backing of rebels. In January, ten grandchildren of Lumumba joined proceedings as civil parties and charges were brought, marking a historic moment as one of the first instances of prosecution for crimes committed in colonial-era Africa.
The Belgium system is one of a few criminal justice systems that combine criminal and civil procedures. It allows parties to join criminal proceedings as civil parties and allows judges to rule on both the criminal and civil aspects of a proceeding in a single decision. The trial is expected to begin in 2027.
