Brussels marks 100 years since birth of Patrice Lumumba, DR Congo’s independence leader
On 2 July, Brussels marks the centenary of Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader and anti-colonial icon who was assassinated in 1961. Belgium’s capital is hosting a series of events to honour the life and legacy of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first prime minister, who is now widely regarded as a martyr of Pan-Africanism and a symbol of resistance against colonial oppression.
One of the highlights is the exhibition Lumumba: 100 Years, which will run from 3-30 July at the Congolese Cultural Center in Brussels. It will showcase the works of five young Congolese artists from the Kinshasa Academy of Fine Arts, who will explore the challenges facing contemporary Congolese society through the lens of Lumumba’s ideals. A workshop for children will be part of the programme.
Other initiatives include a conference on the theme of legacies, taking place on 5 July, and a recent screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat on 29 June, which explores the postcolonial context of Congo’s independence and the death of Lumumba.
Deep resonance
For the Congolese diaspora in Belgium and decolonial activist groups, the anniversary carries deep resonance. Lumumba was a fervent anti-colonialist activist, and he remains a powerful symbol of emancipation, social justice and African unity.
As one of the leading figures in Congo’s independence movement, he came to embody the country’s liberation struggle and the fight against over 50 years of Belgian colonial rule. His appointment as the country’s first democratically elected prime minister in 1960 was a moment of hope and a promise of a sovereign future shaped by Congolese hands.
That promise, however, was short-lived. The country soon plunged into crisis: a mutiny was suppressed, the mineral-rich Katanga region declared secession, and Lumumba was deposed in a Belgian-backed coup.
He was later arrested, transferred to Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi), and ultimately executed by separatist forces with support from the CIA and Belgium. Only a single tooth remained of his body.
Belgian complicity
Emerging evidence on Belgium’s complicity in the planning and execution of Lumumba’s death has had a lasting impact on Belgian society and the Congolese diaspora.
In 2002, then-PM Guy Verhofstadt issued an official apology on behalf of the Belgian government. Two decades later, in 2022, prime minister Alexander De Croo went further, acknowledging that Belgium had been “morally responsible" for Lumumba’s death. That same year, Lumumba’s tooth was finally returned to his children.
Today, the quest for justice continues. Just last month, Belgian prosecutors announced they were seeking to bring a 92-year-old former diplomat on trial for Lumumba’s murder. Etienne Davignon, the last of 10 Belgians originally named in the investigation, could become the first to face prosecution more than six decades after the killing.
Celebrations during the opening of Lumumba square in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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