Belgium will return a relic of Patrice Lumumba to his family on June 20
The Belgian authorities will return the remains of Patrice Lumumba, first Prime Minister of the independent Congo in 1960, to his family on Monday June 20 in Brussels.
The restitution of the remains, or more exactly of a tooth according to well-informed sources, will be organized in the first place within a restricted and family framework, in accordance with the wishes expressed by the family. This restitution in small groups will be followed by an official ceremony at the Palais d’Egmont at the initiative of the Belgian government and in the presence of the Belgian and Congolese authorities, announces the cabinet of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who will speak on behalf of the Belgian State.
a bump
Congolese media reported earlier this week that preparations have begun in the country for the repatriation of Lumumba’s remains. This was to take place before June 30, the date on which the ceremony is scheduled for the reception of the remains, and which is also the national holiday of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In 2016, the prosecution seized a tooth from the daughter of former police officer Gerard Soete. This had avoided the disappearance of the body of the Prime Minister after his assassination in 1961. But the man had pulled out at least one tooth and had kept it. In 2020, the court decided that the Belgian state must return this tooth to the DRC. According to a son of Patrice Lumumba, a second tooth and a finger are still in Belgium.
“Turning point“
This restitution will take place in the context of the visit of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to the DRC in the second week of June. According to the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office”this moment is seen positively as a new pivotal moment in the history of diplomatic relations between Belgium and the DRC, this visit and this return can be considered as a new positive turning point in the history of Belgian-Congolese diplomatic relations. The remains of Patrice Emery Lumumba refer to the common past of our two countries, including difficult times.“
The Congolese authorities have expressed the wish to bring together the Congolese diaspora in particular around a last tribute to Patrice Lumumba before the remains leave Belgian soil. This moment of meditation will be organized by the Congolese authorities in the wake of the official ceremony.