Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would have turned 100 this month (on July 2) if he had lived. This unattained milestone is being commemorated with an exhibition in Brussels, as Belgium—the former colonial power—faces renewed scrutiny over his death.
Lumumba was just 35 when he was overthrown during a political crisis, then tortured and executed by a firing squad in January 1961, along with two associates, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo. Nearly 65 years later, his family is still seeking answers about the killings, which were carried out by Congolese rivals with Belgian support.
In a surprising move in June, Belgium’s federal prosecutor referred a 92-year-old former diplomat, Étienne Davignon, to the Brussels criminal court over alleged war crimes linked to Lumumba’s death.
Davignon, who was sent to Congo as a 28-year-old diplomatic intern just before independence in 1960, is the last surviving defendant among 10 former officials accused by Lumumba’s family in 2011 of involvement in his assassination. The charges include unlawful detention, denial of a fair trial, and “humiliating and degrading treatment,” though the accusation of intent to kill has been dropped. Davignon denies any involvement.
Christophe Marchand, a lawyer for Lumumba’s family, said: “The goal is to hold a judicial trial and uncover the truth about what happened—not just Davignon’s role, because he was only one part of a broader criminal plan.”
Lumumba was a charismatic leader who fought for Congolese independence but made some fateful mistakes during his brief time in office. One historian has called his assassination Congo’s “original sin,” which crushed hopes of unity and prosperity for the newly independent nation. In 2001, a Belgian parliamentary inquiry concluded that Belgian ministers bore moral responsibility for the events leading to Lumumba’s brutal death.
Marchand noted that the inquiry had already established that “Belgian civil servants actively participated in Lumumba’s transfer from Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) to Katanga,” where he was killed.
Though Marchand believes the investigation should have started sooner, he sees it as significant that Belgium’s top prosecutor now considers there is enough evidence for a trial. “It’s rare for a former colonial power to address colonial crimes and acknowledge they should be prosecuted—even decades later,” he said. A hearing is set for January 2026, when a judge will decide whether the case proceeds.
Davignon has dismissed the case as “absurd.” A prominent figure in Belgian society, he is a former European Commission vice-president and has been involved with major Belgian corporations.
Speaking to SudInfo this July, Davignon said he had been questioned during the earlier parliamentary inquiry, which found he had “no direct or indirect responsibility” for Lumumba’s fate.He accused the prosecution of being overzealous and acting “a bit blindly.” Belgium’s foreign ministry declined to comment, citing respect for the separation of powers, while clarifying it wasn’t involved in the prosecutor’s case.
Nancy Mariam Kawaya, a coordinator at the Congolese Cultural Centre hosting the Lumumba centenary exhibition, said: “The murder must be judged so both Belgium and the Congolese can find peace with this history and move forward.”
“I want to trust that justice will now do its work,” she added.
The exhibition aims to shift focus beyond Lumumba’s death. His violent end “dominates so much attention that people forget who he was, his ideas… What was he really fighting for?”
The small display features paintings by Congolese artists. One depicts an imagined elderly Lumumba with short grey-white hair, gazing into the distance. Other works are more unsettling—a modern, deserted Kinshasa drowning in plastic waste, or Lumumba haloed, seated on a plastic chair in a trash-filled landscape where two barefoot boys reach out, one holding a blood-stained smartphone—a stark nod to the conflict minerals fueling Congo’s wars.
Opened in 2023 by Brussels, the Congolese Cultural Centre seeks to reconcile Belgium’s troubled colonial past.
Titled Lumumba Sans Temps (a play on “without time” and “100 years” in French), the exhibition runs until 30 July, emphasizing Lumumba’s timeless message of unity over division.
“Lumumba remains our contemporary,” says curator Dady Mbumba. “He fought for liberty, equality, and unity”—the latter especially vital after decades of conflict in Congo.
Born in Congo and living in Belgium, Mbumba hopes to deepen understanding of Lumumba’s life and shared colonial history: “It’s a history we share… though difficult and painful.”
