Surprise move towards trial of veteran diplomat over Patrice Lumumbas 1961 assassination coincides with show seeking to widen focus on his life and fight
If he had lived, Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would have marked his 100th birthday this month on 2 July. This unreached milestone is being marked by an exhibition in Brussels at a time when Belgium, the former colonial power, is facing renewed questions about his death.
Lumumba was 35 when he was overthrown during a political crisis, then tortured and assassinated by a firing squad in January 1961, along with two associates, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo. Nearly 65 years after the murders, which were carried out by Congolese rivals with the support of Belgian officers, Lumumbas family are still searching for answers.
In an unexpected development in June, Belgiums federal prosecutor referred a 92-year-old former diplomat, tienne Davignon, to the Brussels criminal court over alleged war crimes related to the killings.