Tervuren, September 1, 2024 (Fatshimetrie) – A surge of emotion and demand for justice animated the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) in Tervuren during the poignant tribute paid to the great Songye chief, Yakaumbu Kamanda Lumpungu. This event, initiated by the a.FreeKam association in collaboration with the RMCA, gave rise to poignant testimonies and fervent calls for the rehabilitation of the memory of this emblematic chief.
The vibrant voice of Mrs. Ytal Yambo Bena Lumpungu, great-granddaughter of Kamanda Lumpungu and founder of the a.FreeKam association, rose with force during the ceremony. “You killed an innocent man and you are aware of it. I demand that the truth be re-established,” she declared, recalling the tragic fate of the great chief, hanged nearly a century ago in Kabinda under the yoke of the Belgian colonial administration.
The poignant story of the injustice suffered by Kamanda Lumpungu moved the audience, composed of Congolese, Belgians and Africans who came to support the cause. The quest for truth and restitution of looted property was at the heart of the family’s demands, which are also demanding the restitution of the remains of the great chief, whose burial place remains unknown.
The exhibition of a necklace supposed to have belonged to Kamanda Lumpungu raised questions and emotions among the participants. This object, discovered in the 1950s and kept at the Tervuren museum, embodies a tangible link with the history and memory of the Songye chief, but its context and meaning remain partly mysterious, due to the lack of clear explanations.
In a vibrant and emotional tribute, the ceremony also highlighted the political and social legacy of Kamanda Lumpungu. A prominent figure of the Songye people, he embodied enlightened leadership, defending the interests of his communities and resisting colonial oppression with courage and dignity.
His public execution on September 1, 1936 remains etched in memories, symbolizing the brutal repression carried out at the time to stifle any desire for emancipation. Today, the call for Kamanda Lumpungu’s rehabilitation resonates as an imperative of historical justice, inviting us to recognize and honor the memory of an unjustly condemned hero.
The tribute paid to the great Songye leader in Tervuren thus awakened consciences and echoed a quest for truth and reparation, recalling the importance of preserving and promoting historical legacies to build a more just and inclusive future.