- Safiu Kehinde
A Belgian court is set to commence trial against a 93-year-old former European Commissioner and diplomat of the country, Etienne Davignon, over his alleged involvement in the murder of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba.
Davignon who was considered the only surviving ex-official alleged involved in the 1961 killing was accused by Belgian federal prosecutors of involvement in the “unlawful detention and transfer” of Lumumba, as well as “humiliating and degrading treatment”.
Recall that Lumumba, considered one of the fathers of African nationalism and liberation movement was gruesomely executed with his body dissolved in acid by separatists.
This was reportedly carried out with the help of mercenaries from the former colonial power, Belgium, barely a year after DR Congo’s independence and his emergence as the country’s Prime Minister.
The family of murdered Congolese independence icon had since been demanding justice for the past 15 years.
“We cannot turn back time, but we are counting on the Belgian justice system to do its job and shed light on history,” Yema Lumumba, 33, a granddaughter of the late Congolese prime minister, reportedly told AFP outside a Brussels court, ahead of a closed-door hearing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Davignon, the sole-surviving ex-official had always denied Belgian authorities’ involvement in the murder,
Lawyers for Lumumba’s family however maintained the hearing also provided the chance to file new civil lawsuits on behalf of about 10 of the former leader’s grandchildren.
A decision is expected within weeks with possibility of the trial taking place in early 2027.
Lumumba’s case had recently resurfaced and caught global attention once again courtesy the just concluded 2025 African Cup of Nation (AFCON).
With DR Congo qualifying, the football tournament not only brought the country to the limelight with their impressive campaign but also served as a platform for political statement courtesy a now popular fan considered as the face of the tournament, Michel Kuka Mboladinga.
The 53-year-old Congolese football supporter famously known as “Lumumba Vea.” stole the show with his imposing pose as a human statue with one arm raised in an imitation of Lumumba’s pose.
Mboladinga often maintain the pose without flinching all through the 90 minutes of play.
He had not only inspired DR Congo but also other African nations present at the tournament.
The football fan, who back home was an ardent follower of the Lumumbist movement, would unfortunately leave the tournament after DR Congo’s defeat to Algeria at the knockout stage.
His presence tends to have attracted much attention to the 2025 AFCON that the tournament’s organisers urged hm to stay with a lucrative offer till the end of the tournament.
Mboldinga however rejected the offer as he insisted on returning home with his countrymen.