I’ve visited Joshua and Tjostolv for the second time in the prison in Kisangani. Since the first time, in November 2009, I’ve often been asked if I’m going down there again. I’ve responded that I hope that it won’t be necessary. Implied, that there would be a resolution within reasonable time. Well, the months have gone by. The last verdict fell June 10th. The situation is the same for the boys as it were when they were convicted on September 8th 2009. The one thing that has changed is the visits. Journalists and the representatives from the Foreign Ministry are gone. The days in prison are the same. It’s all about hanging on.
We went straight from the airport to the prison on Thursday 24th. The warden was informed by the Justice Department in Kinshasa that we, Rune Edvardsen, Geir Egeland and I were coming to visit Joshua and Tjostolv. We and what we had with us were let in without problems. My baggage were mainly a large board game, support mail, letters, pictures from the closest family, newspapers (local) clippings from newspapers and books. I had to “borrow” space in Runes suitcase to fit everything.
In November Tjostolv were still struggling with his mental problems. He was in the cell with Joshua during the day, but at night he slept with other inmates who looked after him. Now they are together all day. Friday morning I got to see how they spend the night. I found them under a rectangular mosquito tent, on two foam mattresses on a cement floor with plugs in their ears. To get as much peace as possible they are awake long into the night and sleep long into the day. The previous night they started playing the game I brought them and time flew by!
There are 452 prisoners in the prison, and Joshua and Tjostolv are the only ones who are white. During the day the prisoners walk around freely in the courtyard. They do laundry and cook on a joint kitchen. There are a lot of screaming and yelling. Joshua and Tjostolv turn the clock to avoid all the noise. Another thing that annoys them is that the other inmates steal from them. The two Norwegians have what they need for food, toiletries and clothes and are privileged in this respect. The other prisoners don’t have anything.
I got to spend many hours with Tjostolv. When I left one of the days, he said that it was almost like chatting at the kitchen table at home. He is concerned for his family, especially the two little ones he is uncle to. He is also interested in what’s happening at home, gossip from the hometown. Of course we talked about the last round in court, and the outcome of it. We talked about journalists from home and abroad, about the Norwegian and British Foreign Ministry. And how they manage to get the days to go by, and the food they cook – pancakes ones a week. Joshua and Tjostolv can cook their own food in their cell and heat up water to make coffee.
On Saturday we were flying to Kinshasa with the Congolese airline that is called Bora Bora. Tjostolv didn’t like that. He exclaimed: that airline is blacklisted. Its fine, Rune said, and it was, but Tjostolv was really concerned.
Joshua had long talks with Rune. We got to see Joshua in action for “Inmate to Inmate”, where he tended to wounds and gave out medication. Impressive!
On Saturday June 26th we flew to Kinshasa with the hopes of meeting the first lady in Congo and ask for clemency for the boys.
Mathilde Moland, Vegårshei, July 12th 2010
