I think that is the only way to describe Joshua and Tjostolvs situation. It’s almost been two months since ambassador Vea was promised that the guys were going to be transferred to Kinshasa within about a week. Does the government in Kisangani really think that they will get the money they demand? That’s impossible anyways.
A representative from the Norwegian embassy in Angola (Fred Rasmussen) arrived in Kisangani on Monday and left again on Tuesday. He visited the guys and was able to get a copy of the verdict that the local lawyer has. Let’s just hope that lawyer Furuholmen gets a copy from the Foreign Ministry soon. Of course it has to be translated to Norwegian as well.
On Tuesday the seaman’s priest Knut Lyngseth arrived in Kisangani. He is going back to Norway on Friday already, so the days they spend with him are worth a lot.
Another representative from the embassy in Luanda is going to Goma among other places next week. She will stop by Kisangani for about a day to check on the guys.
What we didn’t know before that would have been very useful to know, is that the person who delivers food to Joshua and Tjostolv have contact with the embassy regularly and reports to them about their situation.
We received a very nice phone call from some missionaries who are going to a place in the north of Congo. They work for The Norwegian Baptist Society. They are travelling by Kisangani, and were able to bring some food etc to the boys for us. And of course we sent all of the support mails from you guys! J The group of five arrives next week. If they don’t get permission to go in to the prison, they also have contacts where they can deliver what they brought for Joshua and Tjostolv.
We don’t have any more information about when there will be a trial, if the boys will be transferred to Kinshasa or if Congolese authorities have requested help from Monuc (UN) to fly them to the capital city.
On February 5th it will be nine months since the assault happened and the driver was killed. The victims in this case are the drivers’ widow and children, and also the two Norwegian men.
To sit as hostages in the middle of the jungle in Africa is not recommended.
Kari Hilde French, February 3rd 2010
