Returning Lumumba

Lumumba’s remains in Belgian possession include a gold tooth and finger bones.

Written by Tomisin Awosika

Jun 2, 2022

Photography by Patrice Lumumba arrives in New York to discuss with UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. 24 July 1960. MB / UN Photo.MB / UN Photo.

On 20 June 2022, Belgium will return the remains of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo or ‘DRC’, to his family. The ceremony will take place at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. Lumumba’s remains in Belgian possession include a gold tooth and finger bones.

In January 1961, Patrice Emery Lumumba was assassinated by the authorities of Katanga, a breakaway Congolese state, after being tortured in the presence of Belgian officers. At the time, Lumumba was 35 and his death sparked global outrage, instantly turning him into a national hero and a symbol of the dashed hopes of post-independence Africa.

Reacting to news of Belgium returning Lumumba’s remains, Roland Lumumba, one of Lumumba’s children, said that the return was a relief and an opportunity to finally move on. ‘For us, as Africans, the mourning started about 60 years ago. With the return of a part of him,…we can finish the mourning and move on. It’s a relief for us.’

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About the Author

Tomisin Awosika

is a junior editor at The Republic.

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Returning Lumumba