Étienne Davignon

Étienne Davignon is a 93-year-old retired Belgian diplomat. He is currently newsworthy due to a recent ruling by a Brussels court that he must stand trial for alleged complicity in the 1961 murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (then a newly independent Congolese state). The Lumumba family has accused ten Belgians of involvement in the killing, and Davignon is the only one still alive. He is charged with participation in war crimes related to Lumumba's assassination. This trial is significant because it addresses Belgium's colonial past and its potential role in the death of a key figure in Congolese independence. The decision to proceed with the trial marks a significant development in the long-standing pursuit of justice for Lumumba's murder.