Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo — 2026-03-19 Belgian Court Trial on Lumumba Case Welcomed by Congolese Citizens. Kinshasa — Several Congolese citizens have expressed their welcome towards a Belgian court’s decision to proceed with a trial against 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat Etienne Davignon.
The trial concerns Davignon’s alleged involvement in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first prime minister, in 1961.
The Belgian court has determined that Davignon, who was a trainee diplomat at the time of Lumumba’s detention and death, is fit to stand trial. He is the last of ten Belgians accused by Lumumba’s family of complicity in the murder, in a criminal case filed in 2011. While some Congolese citizens in Kinshasa have welcomed the decision to open a trial over the decades-old assassination, others believe it is too late.
Richard Makoffo, a businessman, commented, “It’s unusual for this case to be brought up now, more than 50 years later, after Lumumba’s family demanded justice. They want to condemn a poor elderly man in his final days to cover up for the real culprits.”Patrice Lumumba was executed by firing squad in 1961 after being ousted from his position as prime minister through a coup.
His body was dissolved in acid. Although the execution was carried out by Congolese forces, they were supported by Belgium, which had officially ended its colonial rule over the country but was still suspicious of Lumumba.
The trial’s announcement has reignited discussions about colonial-era crimes and the pursuit of justice.
Further details regarding the trial’s schedule and proceedings are expected to be released in the coming days.
