Sakwiba Sikota has stepped up to plead the case of kidnapped Zambian humanitarian worker Felix Ngoma who has been kidnapped in Sudan for 18 days now.
Sikota reckons the warm relations between the ruling Patriotic Front government and Al Bashir regime should be used to secure the freedom of the Zambian citizen.
With the PF not too secretive about their warm relations with the despotic Omar Al Bashir regime, where a working pact exists between the ruling parties in the two countries, Sikota challenges Zambia to draw on this pact to the benefit of its citizen.
Below is the full write up:
REVISITING BAD CONNECTIONS FOR GOOD RESULTS
On 31st May I posted my thoughts on how bad connections can be used to get good results.
I have reproduced the original post in the posting just before this one for those who may not have seen the original post. The Zambian government is not known to have intervened on behalf of the Christian mother Meriam Ibrahim who had been sentenced to a hundred lashes and death by stoning for her Christian faith. Zambia failed to use its bad connections to get good results. Happily the death sentence on this brave woman has since been reversed and she has been released from prison with her baby daughter.
Recent happenings have made it necessary to revisit the thoughts I was trying to put forward in that post.
The first occurrence necessitating revisiting the ideas of my post from two months ago is the holding hostage of a Zambian national.
The Zambian Watchdog has carried a story headed, “ZAMBIAN HUMANITARIAN WORKER KIDNAPPED, HELD HOSTAGE IN DARFUR FOR 17 DAYS NOW” which reads, “A Zambia humanitarian worker has been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Darfur, Sudan.
Felix Ngoma, who works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been held hostage for 18 days now.
It is not yet clear which group abducted Mr Ngoma but the little available information indicates that he is being held hostage by pro-government militia (Janjaweed) who are demanding a ransom.
The Zambian government is aware ………..but it seems the information is been kept secret……..
The…….UN/IOM has informed the family of Mr Ngoma and have assured them that their relative is still alive……
A source close to Mr Ngoma’s family has told the Watchdog that the family is devastated as the only information they are getting is from the IOM and nothing from the Zambian government……”
Surely this is very close to home and anyone with good connections with the Janjaweed supporters must use those bad connections to get good results.
The second incident I want to refer to is that of Malaysian flight MH17 shot down over the Ukraine which shows again that bad connections can be used to get good results. The pro Russian rebels in Ukraine are widely believed to have brought down the plane. What was of Major concern was that international investigators were being hindered from carrying out their investigations or even collecting the bodies. Only after Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, used his bad connections with the pro Russian Ukrainian rebels to get these good results.
I am appealing to the Zambian Government who have excellent relations with the Sudanese government in Khartoum to secure the release of the Zambian National who has now been held hostage for 18days now.
Our Members of Parliament should also raise a point of Order as to whether the Government is in order to remain quiet and not make a statement as to what measures are being taken to try and secure the safe release of Felix Ngoma.
Secretary General of PF should show that his Bad Connections with the Bashir Regime at least can secure GOOD RESULTS FOR ZAMBIA.
If this bad connection cannot secure the safe return of Mr. Ngoma what is the benefit of this relationship to Zambia?
The post Saki Speaks for Kidnapped Zambian in Darfur appeared first on Zambia Reports.