Elie SMITH: Challenges in Congo(1)

When I made up my mind to work in Congo, It was a decision that I took alone. I did not want to ask my wife, for I knew she won’t like the idea. For she had always complained that, I gave priority to my profession and defense for human rights at the expense of our family. She also warned me that, I had to make a choice between my professional adventure and love for Africa or our family.  Sad as it would appear, while I love my family especially my sons, the call or attraction toward Africa with all its risk was simply magnetic. . What my wife did not know is that, since I came from a very poor background, I have seen and witness the injustice of corrupt dictatorial governments. And if I have succeeded, it was because of two things: God or the bible and education. And I am of the opinion that, in order to lift a majority out of poverty, there is need for someone or group of people must lay down their lives against dictatorship. I was and I am ready to die for the promotion and defense and promotion of democracy.  My heart was already turning toward Africa, especially the ECCAS region or Economic Community of Central Africa States.

It is a region that in my humble opinion it is the last hideout of dictatorship in Africa. Democracy is progressing all over the African continent, but not within the ECCAS sub region. The ECCAS was the only region in Africa where democracy is facing formidable opposition from dictatorial regimes and also from a people who seem not to have a spirit of sacrifice because they are victims or accomplices of repressive regimes.  To measure how backward democratic wise are countries of the ECCAS, out of the 11 countries that make up the sub regional organization, only tiny Sao Tome and Principe is a real democracy. Whereas in the 15 member state Economic Community of West African States abbreviated as ECOWAS, 13 are not only democracies, they also have presidents who are less than 10 years in power. The only bad eggs within the ECOWAS sub region are Togo and Gambia. Besides the latter, I was already disappointed with the new management that Pascaline Bongo via her lawyer of a friend by name Palazzo Gauthier had decided to impose on Telesud.

I also wanted to come back to Africa and in a country where I thought I could practice or make an impact. And that country was Congo. Small as Congo might appear, it has an influence and any change or improvement in term of democracy would have an influence around and within the ECCAS sub region.  But in Congo especially at MNCOM, it was a great place and a place full of challenges. The first was to reconstruct from crash a real Radio and Television station with the necessary material and man power that will have an impact on the people and also on the government. Those were my primary objectives immediately set foot in Congo and at MNCOM. The second challenge that I had was who to make Congolese to be interested or listen or watch our Radio and Television programmes whenever we start broadcasting. The first objectives were very difficult to achieve because most of the materials bought to set up or create the Television and Radio station were not professional materials. 

Paris-Brazzavile: Blaise Louembe, the emissary of Pascaline Mferri Bongo Ondimba

What is not known is whether he was forced to or whether it was simply that, he was a Gaullist zealot.  It is something or a period that, the truth will never been known because I think Bernard Volker will not like to talk about. Bernard Volker is also known to have worked in both the United States and in Germany as correspondent for TF1. He is fluent in both English and German. But the coming of Bernard Volker at the head of a television station that was made up in majority of Africans from north and sub Saharan Africa and the Caribbean was not well received by the staff. It staff said that, the inferiority complex of the Gabonese have forced them to hand over the management of the first pan African television station to French whites whose only interest  was to make money. In fact the coming of Bernard Volker at the helms of 3 A Telesud that became known only as Telesud, also marked the end of its ambitions and originality. Bernard Volker made a lot of promises. He promised to transform or change everything. He promised regular and timely payment of salaries. The payment of salaries regularly and on time was the only piece of good news that came along with the takeover of Telesud by white men. For before they came, staff stayed for between two-three months without pay. The station also owed Globecast, the satellite distributing company, about three hundred and fifty thousand Euros. Besides owing Globecast, Telesud also owed rents for the offices that we were using at Cognac Jay. They owed twenty six thousand Euros in unpaid rents. 3 A Telesud was a company that was slowly but effectively going to be closed. But it must be pointed out that, Jean Philippe Kabore was no longer receiving financial support from the Gabonese. A thing that changed immediately the whites came, the floodgates of financing was opened in Libreville. One of the reasons why Jean Philippe Kabore was no longer receiving funding from Libreville was because, before and after the death of President Omar Bongo Ondimba, the interim administration or the transition phase in Gabon made things a little bit tough for Pascaline Bongo Ondimba.

Especially that, Pascaline Bongo Ondimba rapport with Ali Bongo Ondimba her younger brother, who was formerly defense minister and currently President of the Republic, was fraught with suspicions and power tussle. And as a consequence, Telesud had to suffer because it was not the priority. But as things got worst financially for Telesud, Pascaline Bongo Ondimba fearful of media reaction and the consequences on their already battered image in France, she was obliged to dispatch one of her loyal friend to Paris to solve the financial and management problems of Telesud. The emissary was Blaise Louembe. Mr Louembe was Pascaline‘s loyal friend in the government of Gabon formed by her younger brother Ali Bongo Ondimba. Mr Louembe was a former minister of finance and former pay master general. He is currently minister of Sports of Gabon. He was born on the 20^th of February 1960 in Koulamoutou in Gabon. He was the one who regularly left Libreville for Paris with bank checks to settle debts on behalf of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba. Whenever he arrived with those checks in France, in order to avoid the monetary authorities of France to search or trace the origin of the checks, the said checks were recycled as payment for legal counseling carried out by Danielle Palazzo Gauthier.

In fact, besides legal services, Danielle Palazzo Gauthier also served to launder money for Pascaline Bongo Ondimba. The checks brought from Libreville were used to settle the debts aforementioned and also the payment of salary arrears. During the era of Jean Philippe Kabore, he was assisted by Jean Luc Beis in the administration. The other management staff was Jacob Aime Leboue who was the head of human resources while Louis Magloire Keumayou was the news director. The new era under Bernard Volker, the administration became lily white. Aurelian Delpeyroux was the operational manager while Sandrine Parpet was the assistant to Volker. For a while, Jacob Aime Leboue and Louis Magloire Keumayou were left into their functions but they were soon ejected. I suspect that, the new management never wanted a black person to hold any administrative or management functions within Telesud. 

Paris-Brazzaville: Danyele Palazzo Gauthier, advocate and money-woman of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba

President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s morale was affected heavily because; Edith was not only his official first born, but also the most intelligent amongst his 29 children. Furthermore, she was the only one besides his elder brother Maurice Nguesso who was loved by ordinary Congolese. Her lost was synonymous to the lost of clutches to a cripple.  If Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba were still alive today, some monumental strategic errors being committed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso and which might cause him his prestige and even presidency won’t have been committed. It explains why her death also sparked in President Denis Sassou Nguesso the desire to leave the political scene. Denis Sassou Nguesso was convinced to continue by the likes of Isidore Mvouba and Jean Jacques Bouya coupled with the medical assistance from Professor Claude Maylin.  So I was told by Ouamba Sassou Nguesso, one of the 29 children of the Congolese leader. As for Omar Bongo Ondimba, formerly Albert Bernard Bongo, he was the second president of Gabon after the death of Leon Mba.

President Bongo Ondimba had his names changed from Albert Bernard Bongo to Omar Bongo, when he became a Muslim, but the mother of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba told me that, he reconverted back to Christianity in his last days. As Omar Bongo Ondimba bowed out of stage, his daughter Pascaline Bongo Ondimba gave the administration of some of her father’s wealth and investments in France to her friend by name Danielle Palazzo Gauthier. 

Mrs. Gauthier is a lawyer. She is also the niece of Roland Dumas who was not only France’s foreign minister under late President Francois Mitterrand from 1984-1986 and from 1988-1993, he was also the head of France’s constitutional Court from 1995-1999. Besides those posts that Roland Dumas held, he was also a friend to late President Omar Bongo Ondimba. France’s political elite have always held special relationship with elite of French-speaking African countries in chief, those who are governing. It also partly explains the reason why France has lost its credibility in most of her former colonies in Africa. Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier has her own chambers located at the prestigious Champ Elysee.  And according to an online Gabonese newspaper known as Dworaczek-Bendome, Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier also spelled as Danyele Palazzo Gauthier was born on the 27^th of January 1952. She is a graduate of the Universite des Sciences Sociale de Toulouse and the Institute d’Etude Judiciaire de Toulouse and she is also honorary Consul of Gabon in Bordeaux.  Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier who runs a controversial Gabonese or should I say, Bongo Ondimba funded company called Delta Synegie , headquartered in Luxemburg, which is  the parent company of most of their investments in Europe, is also the vice chair of the Albertine Amissa Bongo Ondimba Foundation.  Albertine Amissa Bongo Ondimba was one of the daughters of late President Omar Bongo Ondimba. She was born in 1964 and died in 1993. It is in her memory, a foundation was created and also an annual cycling race code named: Tour du Gabon Amissa Bongo Ondimba. 

Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier is a specialist in Urban, Construction, trade, succession and international laws. It is also reported that, she went or attended the Paris-Dauphine University along with Pascaline Bongo Ondimba. It is also reported that, it was while they were students that, they knew and befriended each other. And it was Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier who brought in a group of whites, namely: Charles Villeneuve and Bernard Volker to run 3 A Telesud. It was a clear takeover and also a fundamental change from how Jean Philippe Kabore and Louis Magloire Keumayou were running 3 A Telesud. Bernard Volker is a former or retired journalist with the privately owned French TV called TF1. Mr Volker is also known to have presented the news in 1968 in full military fatigue. May 1968 was a volatile period in France and it was punctuated by demonstrations and massive general strikes as well as occupation of universities and factories across France. And according to the online dictionary Wikipedia, at the height of the civil unrest, there was fear of a revolution, in particular when General Charles De Gaulle, for a moment left Paris. It was during this period that, Bernard Volker was ordered to present the news in full military gears. What is not known is whether he was forced to or whether it was simply that, he was a Gaullist zealot.  It is something or a period that, the truth will never been known because I think Bernard Volker will not like to talk about.

Bernard Volker is also known to have worked in both the United States and in Germany as correspondent for TF1. He is fluent in both English and German. But the coming of Bernard Volker at the head of a television station that was made up in majority of Africans from north and sub Saharan Africa and the Caribbean was not well received by the staff. It staff said that, the inferiority complex of the Gabonese have forced them to hand over the management of the first pan African television station to French whites whose only interest  was to make money. In fact the coming of Bernard Volker at the helms of 3 A Telesud that became known only as Telesud, also marked the end of its ambitions and originality. Bernard Volker made a lot of promises. He promised to transform or change everything. He promised regular and timely payment of salaries. The payment of salaries regularly and on time was the only piece of good news that came along with the takeover of Telesud by white men. For before they came, staff stayed for between two-three months without pay. 

Paris- Brazzaville: for Sassou Nguesso the lost of Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba was synonymous to the lost of clutches to a cripple.

The son or daughter of your brother or your sister is simply yours. Or put it simply, your son or your daughter. That said, what is certain is that, the proposition or suggestion that was made to me by Rynelle was not taken seriously, but, it did not also fall on deaf ears.  And, when the working situation at 3 A Telesud began to worsen, the idea of going to Congo started resurfacing.   It became all the sudden, very important more than ever, when Omar Bongo Ondimba’s health was deteriorating and the long illness of his wife Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba also began seriously falling apart.  As the health of both the President of Gabon and his wife became wobbly, it also affected 3 A Telesud and more the daily administration of Gabon. Salaries of staff at 3 A Telesud became irregular and I began weighing all options and the suggestions from Rynelle took all its importance. I began thinking of going back to Africa. Honestly speaking, had it not been that, all was not going on well, professionally, for me in France and particularly at 3 A Telesud, I won’t have ever gone back to work in Africa, for having stayed in France for a while, I had developed a negative feeling toward Africa and some of its elite which is not entirely wrong or a mere western influenced prejudice, as it is generally claimed by those intellectuals or elite who are the focus of my wrath and distraught.

For some African elite in particular, those governing have in my view point, no respect for human beings or they are not very different from animals in the way they react or do things. While I have been criticized for always wanting to compare Africa with western society, which might appear, it is true, pretentious, nonetheless, don’t some African intellectuals think that, there are some instances or situations where comparisons can be made? For example in the area of management, why is it that, some so-called African elite, can’t mange well?  Why is it that, some of them are so corrupt? Why can’t they respect basic human right values? Do those African intellectuals or elite need to be a westerner in order to give value to life?  Asking these questions is not tantamount to being biased toward African governing elite.  I know that my present position on some African elite, is hard or will not be appreciated by most Africans, but can anyone tell me how a government official will support the killing or rape of  his or her political adversary and that attracts no criticism?  Can anyone tell me why some African elite will steal funds donated or earmarked for development and instead invest it in wealthy countries?  The way which some African elite and their governments behave is heart breaking.

Some African elite are most of the time inhumane in their way of doing things. All what or all the ills that I use to think about some African elite and political leaders, especially those governing have been proven correct when I was in Congo and also my stay within power circle. It was an explained disgusting experience .My disappointment with most African political elite and even some so-called intellectuals who are unable to speak out or voice their opposition to the atrocious way that some African countries are governed is complete.  I have little or no respect for them and whenever I see or meet with them, I feel like vomiting. They are simply nauseating. Nonetheless, there are some honest and courageous ones who are drowned in the ocean of those who are dishonest. These ones can’t express themselves, for they are marginalized by those who are dishonest, inhumane and corrupt.

The death of Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba, the wife of Gabon’s President and followed by the death of her husband President Omar Ondimba Bongo signaled the coup de grace for 3 A Telesud.  

Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba was the official first child or daughter of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and her death in March 2009 was a great blow to the morale of her father who almost for the first time in his political life considered willingly abandoning the throne of President of the Republic of Congo. President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s morale was affected heavily because; Edith was not only his official first born, but also the most intelligent amongst his 29 children. Furthermore, she was the only one besides his elder brother Maurice Nguesso who was loved by ordinary Congolese. Her lost was synonymous to the lost of clutches to a cripple.  If Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba were still alive today, some monumental strategic errors being committed by President Denis Sassou Nguesso and which might cause him his prestige and even presidency won’t have been committed. 

It explains why her death also sparked in President Denis Sassou Nguesso the desire to leave the political scene. Denis Sassou Nguesso was convinced to continue by the likes of Isidore Mvouba and Jean Jacques Bouya coupled with the medical assistance from Professor Claude Maylin.  As for Omar Bongo Ondimba, formerly Albert Bernard Bongo, he was the second president of Gabon after the death of Leon Mba. President had his names changed when he became a Muslim, but the mother of Pascaline Bongo Ondimba told me that, he reconverted by to Christianity in his last days. As Omar Bongo Ondimba bowed out of stage, his daughter Pascaline Bongo Ondimba gave the administration of some of her father’s wealth and investments in France to her friend by name Danielle Palazzo Gauthier. Mrs. Gauthier is a lawyer. She is also the niece of Roland Dumas who was not only France’s foreign minister under late President Francois Mitterrand from 1984-1986 and from 1988-1993, he was also the head of France’s constitutional Court from 1995-1999. Besides those posts that Roland Dumas held, he was also a friend to late President Omar Bongo Ondimba.

France’s political elite have always held special relationship with elite of French-speaking African in chief those who are governing. It also partly explains the reason why France has lost its credibility in most of her former colonies in Africa. Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier has her own chambers located at the prestigious Champ Elysee. It is also reported that, she went or attended the Dauphine University along with Pascaline Bongo Ondimba and that. It is also reported that, it was while they were students that, they knew and befriended each other.  And it was Mrs. Danielle Palazzo Gauthier who brought in a group of whites namely: Charles Villeneuve and Bernard Volker to run 3 A Telesud. It was clear takeover and also a fundamental change from how Jean Philippe Kabore and Louis Magloire Keumayou were running 3 A Telesud. Bernard Volker is a former or retired journalist with the privately owned French TV called TF1. Mr Volker is known to have presented the news in 1968 in full military fatigue. May 1968 was a volatile period in France and it was punctuated by demonstrations and massive general strikes as well as occupation of universities and factory across France.