Etienne Earl Davignon to face charges in connection with death of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first PM

Colin Clapson

Published:Tue 17 Mar. 14:41

In 2011 – 50 years after Lumumba’s death – his sons filed a complaint against 10 individuals. According to them, all were involved in the murder of Lumumba in Katanga Province on 17 January 1961.

Belgium’s Public Prosecutor’s Office investigated the case for years and now intends to refer Etienne Davignon to court “for participation in war crimes”. He is the only one of the ten still alive; the rest have since died.

At the time of Lumumba’s death Davignon served as a junior diplomatic intern at Belgium’s Kinshasa embassy.

The court has now decided to refer him to a criminal court. He will have to answer charges of “unlawful detention and the handing over of a civilian or a prisoner of war; depriving a prisoner of war of the right to a fair and impartial trial; and inflicting degrading and inhuman treatment”.

What was Earl Davignon’s role?

At the time of the murder, Davignon was an intern at the Belgian foreign ministry, working in Foreign Minister Pierre Wigny’s Congo unit. Belgium was attempting to undermine Lumumba’s government and eager to see Katanga Province secede from the country.

Patrice Lumumba

It was Davignon’s responsibility to ensure this. A report by the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the assassination states, among other things, that Davignon was required to provide legal arguments to justify Lumumba’s removal from office. Following the commission’s findings, the Belgian government issued an apology for the involvement of Belgians in Lumumba’s killing. A few years ago, further apologies were issued when Lumumba’s remains – consisting of a single tooth – were returned to Congo.

The question is exactly how significant Davignon’s role was.

According to Ludo De Witte, a Congo expert and author of the book ‘The Murder of Lumumba’, his role went far beyond that which the commission of inquiry ever stated.

He cites, among other things, telexes from that period. According to De Witte, in September 1960, for example, Davignon wrote that it “appears to be a fundamental problem to remove Lumumba and achieve unity among the Congolese leaders against him”.

Another key element is Lumumba’s transfer to Katanga, where he was tortured and ultimately murdered. The Belgian foreign ministry is said to have given its approval for that transfer, but Davignon later stated precisely the opposite.

Following his role in Congo, Davignon became the Belgian foreign minister’s chief of staff and later vice-president of the European commission. In addition, Davignon held numerous board positions, including at the holding company Generale Maatschappij and later at energy provider Engie, and as chairman of Brussels Airlines. He became a privy councillor in 2004.

What does the decision mean?

Davignon will now face trial, though he may still appeal against this decision.  In that case, a judge will first have to make a final decision.

Lumumba’s family has cautiously welcomed the decision: “We are relieved; we have got what we had hoped for. It is a step forward; we are a little closer to justice,” says his grandson Yvan. He says he is not seeking revenge, but recognition. “The loss of Lumumba, for Congo and for us, still weighs heavily.” 

Relatives of Patrice Lumumba