There is Hope for Justice After All

Of all the horrors of colonialism, the Belgian's behavior in the Congo was among the worst, from its initial days as the private property of king Leopold to its post-colonial actions, when Belgian authorities orchestrated the coup against and the subsequent murder of the duly elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.

This happened 65 years ago, but finally, Étienne Davignon has been charged with murder and crimes against humanity.

Unfortunately, the 93 year old former diplomat is the only person still alive who can be charged.

A former Belgian diplomat, 93, should stand trial over alleged complicity in the 1961 murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of what was then the newly independent Congolese state, a Brussels court has ruled.

Étienne Davignon, the only person still alive among 10 Belgians the Lumumba family accuses of involvement in the killing, is charged with participation in war crimes.

The decision, which follows a surprise referral by the Brussels prosecutor last June, can be appealed against. Davignon, a former vice-president of the European Commission, has denied the charges.

In a statement the Lumumba family welcomed what they called a significant step: “For our family, this is not the end of a long

………

If the trial goes ahead, Davignon will be the first Belgian official to face justice over the assassination of Lumumba 65 years ago. In its decision, the court went beyond the prosecutor’s decision, extending the scope of the trial to cover Lumumba’s associates, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, who were murdered alongside him. 

Davignon is accused of participating in war crimes on three counts, according to information provided by the court of first nstance in Brussels:

• The illegal transfer of Lumumba and his associates from Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) to Katanga.
• The “humiliating and degrading treatment” of the men.
• Depriving them of a fair trial.

Maybe one day we'll see this in the United States.