BRUSSELS: A Brussels court on Tuesday ordered a former high-profile Belgian diplomat to stand trial over the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Congo, in a final attempt to shed light on the still murky circumstances surrounding his murder in 1961.

Lumumba, who became prime minister of the country now called the Democratic Republic of Congo upon its independence from Belgium in 1960, was ousted from power just months later and killed by Belgian-backed secessionist rebels on Jan 16, 1961.

A Belgian parliamentary investigation into Lumumba’s killing concluded in 2002 that Belgium was “morally responsible” for his death. But the trial of 93-year-old Count Etienne Davignon, a former EU commissioner who was a junior diplomat at the time, constitutes the first prosecution related to the murder.

Prosecutors say Davignon, who is accused of war crimes, participated in the unlawful detention or transfer of Lumumba and deprived him of his right to an impartial trial. They say he subjected Lumumba to “humiliating and degrading treatment”.

All the other suspects in the case have died. Davignon was not present in the courtroom on Tuesday, and his lawyer declined to comment.

‘Step in right direction’

Lumumba’s surviving family members initially brought the case, which has since been taken up by federal prosecutors.

“It is a step in the right direction,” Lumumba’s granddaughter Yema Lumumba said after the ruling. “What we want is to search for truth and establish different responsibilities.”

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2026