The families and lawyer Furuholmen had a meeting with the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday June 30th to discuss the situation in the Congo-case. Present from the Foreign Ministry was director Sjur Larsen and Waahlberg and Christian Larsen who recently visited the boys in Kisangani. Waahlberg and Larsen oriented us about the trip and several meetings they had, with UN in connection with the robbery in their cell.
UN will take the matter very seriously, with good reason. This is not proper behavior from UN officers. Norway is and has always been one of UN’s strongest supporters and contributors, and will not accept abuse of Norwegian citizens of course. We have to believe it won’t happen again. The warden says the 2000 USD that was stolen is in an account, but no one believes that. They lie constantly, so that money is probably in someone’s pockets by now.
What’s more severe is that it doesn’t seem like anything can be taken seriously, even from the Congolese government’s own members. Concrete promises have been broken and diplomatic notes have not been answered. This is a severe insult to another country’s authorities. When they also keep Norwegian prisoners sentenced to death for espionage completely without justification, and for murder and criminal association where the evidence was at the same level as the accusation as espionage it goes without saying that acts like this is damaging to the relationship between the two countries. Congo can’t possibly profit from this. Foreign Ministry won’t give up until the case is solved and they make it clear that it has high priority. There is no doubt that the Foreign Ministry is their only chance to get out alive. The Foreign Ministry knows that, and we have faith that it will come to an end. We felt that the meeting was positive and they work hard with a solution.
I personally think it’s hard to understand the hate the Congolese military presents and also the indifference and the mistakes made by political authorities. The greed is probably easier to understand, many people believed they could get money from this case.
It has to be something to think about, that a country Norway has helped with so much, UN forces, financing UN forces, building hospitals, support and help in many ways; they treat the nation that helps them like this. How can a nation progress when they act like this? We have to believe that Congolese authorities will understand that acts like these will have consequences; that this pathetic attempt to pressure another country for money actually can backfire. There is a lot to be said for cultural differences. There can be many misunderstandings there. But when they think that HM King Harald sends spies from the secret organization HM Royal Guard it no longer talk of cultural differences. There are people in Congo who has internet; they could’ve googled Norwegian Royal Guards for instance. There isn’t a matter of cultural differences either when they don’t follow diplomatic rules. It’s clear that Congo as a nation is so corrupt that corruption is not just average, but the pillar of the nation. If they choose not to do anything about this how can others help them?
Those who won’t help themselves, no one can help.
Knut Moland, July 1st 2011
