(IMRA) In 1960, the Congo won independence from Belgium and elected Patrice Lumumba as their first prime minister. In December 1960, Lumumba was arrested and on January 17, 1961, he was dragged from his cell and brutally tortured by Belgian police officials. In the evening he was brought, along with two other members of his party, before a police firing squad and executed. A Brussels-appointed governmental commission found that Belgium was indeed responsible for the African leader's killing in 1961. The Government of Belgium offered an official apology to the Lumumba family, but no individuals were prosecuted for the crime.
2003-02-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive