The political influence and diplomatic strength of a country in is built around foreign ties that it has. But not all countries are rated the same because developed or super power countries are the highest ranked. A country with good diplomatic ties with those super powers is always considered as an influential one within its region.

Mineral exploitation agreements

African countries are known to go to extreme length just to acquire a stable friendship with the so called “super powers”. Typical examples can be drawn from the D.R. Congo’s relations with China, Kenya and Ethiopia ties with the United States of America and many other more. In their relation, the DRC has entered into extremely vague mineral exploitation agreements with China for the sake of friendship. Chinese workers without qualifications are known to work without immigration documents.

Unlike the so called “super powers”, African countries are known to spread diplomatic missions that they do not need wherever they can reach. Super powers tend instead to install their missions in the most accessible country of a particular region. Take the American, Canadian and Australian mission based in Nairobi but serving a number of countries in the region.

This is not the case with the DR Congo for example. The country has embassies in all Eastern, Central and Southern African countries yet it’s has no political or diplomatic influence whatsoever. Those embassies are offices to dozens of dormant “diplomats”. In an earlier interview with a senior diplomat at the DRC embassy in Nairobi, Hapamedia learnt that receiving their salaries is as hard as hard as paying their monthly rent.

Diplomats behaving badly

The DRC’s embassy is located at 12th level of a 14 storey privately owned commercial building. It has become more of a trading business than a diplomatic mission. Every service requested is rendered at a fee. With such kind of activities, the loom of corruption can be felt from miles. This writer unearthed a case where Congolese identification documents were sold to non Congolese. This is not an isolated case.

In a similar case, we have material evidences that shows how some diplomats engage themselves in the sell of Congolese Vehicle registration number plates to Kenyan and Ugandan truck owners to facilitate their entry in the DRC in return of huge sum of liquid cash. Other diplomats are known to many E.U embassies to be involved in human traffic. They use their status to get holiday visas to Europe for their clients in exchange of money. These clients do not always come back. They end as illegal immigrants.

Though their lead by an honorable diplomat of career, His Excellency Michel Ta Diomi, the “diplomats” at the Nairobi Congolese embassy are known not to give a thought to their behavior. Some of them do not have any regards towards the Ambassador because of their political connections close to power in Kinshasa. Some analytical circles even describe His Excellency Ta Diomi as a prisoner of his juniors because of their disrespect  of the Ambassador orchestrated by their relations with sources close to power.   

Idd ul fitr was a celebration day. I joined my Muslim brothers into celebration. As visitors were arriving at my residence, a phone call came in. it’s the UN Radio Okapi from the Democratic republic of Congo. Accustomed to their requests, I agreed to go live and comment about the state of D.R.Congo diplomatic missions around the world and particularly in East Africa. I said what I said. Before I remembered that I had a radio interview; I was bombed with threats, hate and defamatory text and email messages. But I do not regret.

No Stable contact details

Diplomatic missions of a sovereign state in foreign lands are supposed to be proxy representations of their country. To accentuate the feel of proxy governments, they should engage in bilateral state to state relations with the host countries. This doesn’t always happen with African countries. In our case, the DRC doesn’t need embassies in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to serve its interest. Instead of struggling to pay rent and the huge number of diplomats, the country should try and buy a residence in Nairobi and allow only a few diplomats to serve efficiently.

Many are the times we were called to witness the Congolese Ambassador climbing the 12th level stairs of the building after the lifts are found out of order. The Embassy doesn’t have stable telephone and email contacts. Contacts change periodically as if their sending a message of reform. Diplomatic qualities of H.E. Michel Ta Diomi are recognized by diplomats we have talked to.

HAPAMEDIA