Congo buries murdered independence hero Lumumba's only remains

A member of the guard of honour carries a poster the murdered Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba, during his burial ceremony after his remains were returned to his family by the Belgian government in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Justin Makangara

The family of Democratic Republic of Congo's murdered independence hero Patrice Lumumba buried his only known remains, a tooth, in the capital Kinshasa on Thursday, 61 years after his death at the hands of Belgian-backed secessionist rebels.

Hundreds gathered in a vast square for the occasion, waving flags and looking upon a large photo of Lumumba, with his trademark horn-rimmed glasses and side-swept hair, framed by white flowers.

Lumumba was killed by a firing squad on Jan. 16, 1961 in the southeastern province of Katanga after being ousted as prime minister the previous year, all within months of Congo's independence from Belgium.

Guards of honour members carry the coffin that contains the only known remains, a tooth of the murdered Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba, during his burial ceremony after it was returned to his family by the Belgian government in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo June 30, 2022. REUTERS/Justin Makangara

A banner with the words "Many thanks, National Hero" was suspended over the crowd, which included the president of neighbouring Congo Republic, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Belgium's foreign minister and several African ambassadors.

"Finally the Congolese people can have the honour of offering a burial to their illustrious prime minister," President Felix Tshisekedi said. "We are ending ... mourning we started 61 years ago."

The funeral was held on the 62nd anniversary of the central African country's independence. On that day, Lumumba gave a fiery speech lambasting Belgium's 75-year colonisation of Congo.

Guards of honour members carry a coffin that contains the only known remains, a tooth of the murdered Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba, after he was returned to his family by the Belgian government at Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Justin Makangara

Congo's first democratically elected prime minister, Lumumba alarmed the West with overtures to Moscow at the height of the Cold War.

His government lasted just three months before he was overthrown and assassinated. Supporters and some historians accuse the CIA of involvement.

A Belgian parliamentary investigation into Lumumba's killing concluded in 2002 that Belgium was "morally responsible" for his death.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi pays his respect as he stands in front of a flag-draped coffin that contains the only known remains, a tooth of the murdered Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba, after he was returned to his family by the Belgian government at Airport in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Justin Makangara

The body was never found. His only remaining tooth was reportedly taken by a Belgian policeman, Gerard Soete, who claimed to have dissolved much of the corpse in acid and burned the rest.

Belgium, whose King Philippe visited Congo for the first time this month, handed the tooth over to Lumumba's family on June 20.

"Your return home, the honours you are receiving here are a page of the history you continue to write," said one of his grand-daughters in a letter to Lumumba she read at the funeral.

"With you, today, Africa is writing its own history," she said.

(Reporting by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Alex Richardson)