The tooth restored in a solemn ceremony belonged to Patrice Lumumba, the independence leader of the Congo who was assassinated in 1961. The former colonial host Belgium has acknowledged that it bears “moral responsibility” for the murder.
In Brussels a solemn ceremony was held on Monday in which the Belgian authorities handed a tooth to a Congolese family. The ceremony was broadcast live on Belgian state television and was also reported by other Belgian media, such as Le Soir -magazine.
What exactly was it?
It’s about was Patrice Lumumbasta, The leader of the Congolese independence, who in 1960 became the country ‘s first prime minister. However, in January 1961, Lumumba was assassinated, and the gilded tooth released on Monday is all that is left of his body.
Belgian Public Prosecutor Frederic Van Leeuw handed to the descendants of Lumumba a small box of bright blue containing a tooth. The box, in turn, was placed in a coffin that was wrapped in a Congolese flag and taken to Congo for burial.
“I believe this will bring comfort to the family and the Congolese people,” he said François Lumumbathe firstborn son of the murdered Lumumba, now 70 years old.
Patrice Lumumba (1925–1961) was one of the leading figures in the struggle for independence of the African colonies.
Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba (right) spoke with the new army commander, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, in 1960.
Congo was and is one of the largest countries in Africa. It was a Belgian colony where colonial hosts committed incomprehensible atrocities. This was especially the case in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the Congo became the ruthless king of Belgium. Leopold II: n private transaction.
Congo became independent in 1960. However, freedom very quickly turned to violence.
Prime Minister Lumumba was ousted after only three months in office. He was beaten and tortured, and eventually executed in a jungle in southeastern Congo near the city of Elizabethville, now present-day Lubumbashi.
The murder was committed on January 17, 1961. Lumumba was 35 years old at the time of his death.
An army commander became a strong Congolese man Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, which was later known as Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu ruled the Congolese monarchy for more than three decades. He changed the name of the country to Zaire.
Congo upon independence, Belgium had troops in the country, and Lumumba was assassinated under the eyes of Belgian soldiers. Belgium has recognized its “moral responsibility”.
That’s what Belgium did again on Monday, according to AFP news agency.
Prime minister Alexander De Croo attended the handover ceremony and said, “I want to [Lumumban] in the presence of the family, I apologize to the Belgian Government. ‘
Also The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the British Foreign Intelligence Service (MI6) are believed to have contributed to the 1961 blood work. Western countries considered Lumumba too leftist.
Patrice Lumumba’s body was cut and etched in sulfuric acid.
In 2000, the Belgian police Gérard Soete said in a German television interview that he was involved in the destruction of Lumumba ‘s body. He said he took teeth from the deceased.
The tooth restored now is the only one that was still preserved. Belgian court ruled in 2020 that the tooth should be restored to Congo.
Patrice Lumumba’s daughter Juliana Lumumba, Belgian King Philippe and Patrice Lumumba’s sons Roland Lumumba and François Lumumba attended Monday’s event in Brussels.
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