Josh told us that none of the implicated parties believed they would get what the court decided they would get for a settlement. “Everyone” in Congo knew they’d never get sums like this. And then Joshua said: you just wait, the media will write that the widow and her family demands 3 million dollars and 4,5 million dollars or whatever. And what he said was true. VG wrote this the next day.
In the beginning of September Norwegian authorities had conversations with Congolese authorities regarding a transfer to Norway. The information we got from the media about these meetings was that as soon as a deal was made with the widow and her family the boys could come to Norway. What’s not clear yet is whether the Congolese authorities demanded similar agreements with the others who were rewarded settlements in the trials, like the drives’ association and the two passengers etc. As far as I’ve understood it the Foreign Ministry thinks it’s just the widow and her family that’s involved. But it would’ve been nice to have some more facts on the table, other than what one thinks.
We feel a careful optimism now. And now like so many times before there is a new waiting period to see what happens next.
Kari Hilde French, September 11th 2010
