Belgian authorities returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to the slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba in Brussels on Monday — in another step toward reconciling Belgium’s bloody colonial past.
Lumumba was the charismatic leader who led Democratic Republic of Congo as it gained independence from Belgium in the 1960s. He was then executed by a hit squad led by Belgian officials in a most gruesome manner. Lumumba was buried in a shallow grave and his remains were virtually erased with sulfuric acid.
But one of his gold-crowned teeth somehow survived.
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On Monday, Belgium returned the tooth to DR Congo and to Lumumba’s family.
The private ceremony came weeks after Belgium’s King Philippe visited DR Congo to express his “deepest regrets” for his country’s abuses in the former colony. After the return of the tooth, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told Congolese officials and Lumumba’s family that the restitution came way too late.
“It is not normal that Belgium held onto the remains of one of the founding fathers of the Congolese nation for six decades,” De Croo said.
Congolese Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde said that the return will serve as an essential part of his country’s national memory.
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To discuss the return of the relic and its significance, The World’s host Carol Hills spoke with Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, the DR Congo’s representative to the United Nations.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.AP contributed to this report.
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