After 65 Years, Belgium Is Still Reckoning with the Assassination of Patrice Lumumba

Author: Vera Rousseff

January 28, 2026

HRRC stands with the relatives of Patrice Lumumba in their efforts to hold Étienne Davignon accountable for his role in the assassination of the Congolese independence leader and former prime minister. We firmly believe that former colonial powers should be held responsible for crimes committed against their colonies, regardless of how much time has passed since the crimes were carried out.

Patrice Lumumba's relatives participate in a press conference following a hearing meant to determine whether the case against Étienne Davignon will go to trial. [Image credit: AFP]

On Tuesday, January 20, a Belgian court took the next step in the long-running case against Étienne Davignon, a former Belgian diplomat accused of playing a role in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba. The Pre-Trial Chamber of the Brussels Court of First Instance held a procedural review hearing to determine whether legal proceedings can move forward under Belgian law.

Lumumba was a leading figure in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s struggle to free itself from Belgian colonial rule. Known for his anti-colonial views, he was elected as the country’s first prime minister in 1960. Just half a year after assuming office, Lumumba was tortured and killed by Congolese separatists with the help of Belgian authorities and additional backing from the United States.

In 2011, Lumumba’s son, François Lumumba, filed a criminal complaint against eleven Belgian citizens for their involvement in his father’s assassination. Ten of those eleven individuals have since died, leaving 93-year-old Davignon as the last living suspect.

Belgian federal prosecutors have accused Davignon of "unlawful detention and transfer of a civilian/prisoner of war; depriving a prisoner of war of the right to a fair and impartial trial” and “humiliating and degrading treatment". Because the offences are classified as crimes against humanity, they are not subject to a statute of limitations; that is, there is no time limit by which legal proceedings must be initiated. The same rule applies to other international crimes, such as genocide and war crimes.

Davignon has denied the allegations regarding his involvement in Lumumba’s assassination. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on March 17, after which the Belgian court will decide whether the case will be brought to trial.

Decades after his death, Lumumba remains a legendary symbol of decolonial ideals, and many of the goals he advocated for—such as ending the exploitation of the DRC’s mineral resources by foreign powers—remain relevant to this day. The case against Davignon holds particular significance as the first instance of a former colonial power facing criminal prosecution for the murder of an African independence leader, representing an important milestone in the efforts to hold former colonial powers accountable for the crimes they committed against their colonies.

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Glossary

• Assassination: the deliberate killing of an important public figure, usually for political reasons.

• Anti-colonial: opposed to colonial rule, where one country controls another territory and its people.

• Belgian colonial rule: the period when Belgium controlled the Democratic Republic of Congo as a colony (1885–1960).

• Colonial power: a country that controls or once controlled another country or territory as a colony.

• Crimes against humanity: very serious crimes, such as murder, torture, or imprisonment, committed against civilians as part of a widespread or systematic attack.

• Criminal prosecution: A legal process in which the government brings charges against a person for breaking the law. Its purpose is to decide whether the person is guilty and, if so, to impose punishment such as prison time or fines. This is different from a civil prosecution (civil case), in which one person or group sues another to seek compensation or resolve a dispute rather than to punish a crime.

• Decolonial: related to the effort to undo the political, economic, and cultural effects of colonial rule and to promote independence, self-rule, and local control.

• Genocide: the intentional killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic, national, or religious group.

• Humiliating and degrading treatment: actions that seriously disrespect a person’s dignity or cause them severe shame or suffering.

• Pre-Trial Chamber: a part of a court that decides whether there is enough legal basis for a case to move forward to trial.

• Prisoner of war: a member of a country’s armed forces who is captured and held by the enemy during a war and must be treated humanely under international law.

• Procedural review hearing: a court meeting focused on legal steps and rules, rather than deciding guilt or innocence.

• Separatists: people or groups who want to break away from an existing country or government to form their own independent state or region.

• Statute of limitations: a law that sets a time limit on how long after a crime legal action can be taken.

• War crimes: serious violations of international law committed during armed conflict, such as killing civilians or prisoners of war.