Belgian prosecutors have said they want to bring a 92-year-old former diplomat to trial over his alleged involvement in the 1961 killing of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba.

The prosecutors accuse Etienne Davignon of playing a role in Lumumba’s unlawful detention, transfer, and “humiliating and degrading treatment” before his execution. He has not responded publicly to the accusations.

Davignon is the only surviving suspect among 10 Belgians who have been accused of complicity in the murder, according to AFP. At the time of Lumumba’s death, he was a trainee diplomat. He later became vice-chairman of the European Commission in the 1980s.

A magistrate will decide whether Davignon should stand trial, with a hearing scheduled for January 2026. The push for a trial follows a case filed in 2011 by Lumumba’s children, demanding justice for their father who was killed at the age of 35.

Lumumba’s daughter, Juliana, welcomed the decision by the Belgian prosecutor’s office. “We’re moving in the right direction. What we’re seeking is, first and foremost, the truth,” she told Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

Lumumba, who became Congo’s first prime minister when the country gained independence from Belgium in 1960, was killed less than seven months later. His execution by firing squad in the breakaway Katanga province took place under the watch of both Congolese and Belgian officials.

Belgium, the former colonial power, has long faced accusations of involvement in the murder. In 2001, a Belgian parliamentary inquiry found that the country bore “moral responsibility” for Lumumba’s assassination. A year later, the Belgian government issued an apology to Lumumba’s family and to the Congolese people.

After his death, Lumumba’s body was buried, exhumed, transported, and eventually destroyed. Belgian police commissioner Gerard Soete oversaw the disposal of the remains, admitting later that the body was dissolved in acid. He kept a gold-crowned tooth, which remained in Belgium for decades before it was handed over to the family in 2022. Soete also claimed to have taken a second tooth and two fingers, which have never been found.

Lumumba's killing followed political chaos and unrest in the newly independent country. A secession crisis erupted after the mineral-rich province of Katanga declared independence.

Belgian troops, sent in under the pretext of protecting Belgian citizens, ended up supporting the Katanga regime, which opposed Lumumba.

Amid rising tensions, President Joseph Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba from office. Soon after, army chief Col Joseph Mobutu seized power.

Lumumba was placed under house arrest, escaped, was re-arrested in December 1960, and then transferred to the west of the country. Belgian officials encouraged his transfer to Katanga, viewing him as a threat to stability.

During the flight to Katanga on 16 January 1961, Lumumba was beaten and again assaulted upon arrival. Katangan authorities later decided he would be executed. On 17 January, he was shot alongside two of his allies.