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Zimpapers Politics Hub
A former Belgian diplomat implicated in the murder of Patrice Lumumba in 1961, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), is appealing against a court decision ordering him to stand trial.
Reuters reports that a Belgian court last Friday ordered 93-year-old Etienne Davignon, a former vice-president of the European Commission to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in Lumumba’s killing 65 years ago.
Prosecutors say Davignon, who was 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. Davignon is the sole surviving suspect among the people accused of murdering Lumumba.
Patrice Lumumba (centre seated in a vehicles with hands shackled) together with some top officials of his Government in the custody of Congolese soldiers aligned to successionists that were being funded and supported by Belgian and American secret agents.
Lumumba forcibly ousted from power just three months after being inaugurated Prime Minister and was later killed by Belgian-backed secessionist rebels on January 16, 1961.
A Belgian parliamentary investigation into Lumumba’s murder concluded in 2002 that Belgium was “morally responsible” for his death.
But the trial of Davignon constitutes the first prosecution related to the murder, in what could be the final opportunity to pursue accountability for heinous crimes committed during Belgium’s colonial occupation and control.
Although Lumumba’s government lasted just three months, the man became an anti-colonial icon as African nations pushed for independence from their European masters in the 1960s.
The trial is significant as it marks the first time a Belgian official has faced justice for the murder of Lumumba, who was a key figure in the fight for Congo’s independence from Belgium.
Davignon is accused of participating in the unlawful detention and degrading treatment of Lumumba, but he has consistently denied the charges.
The case has been a long-standing issue, with Lumumba’s family seeking accountability for the events that led to the struggle icon’s demise.
The trial is seen as a step towards confronting Belgium’s colonial past and ensuring justice for the victims of colonialism.-Zimpapers Politics Hub/Reuters
