The Ambassador Page #5

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for the courtesy and privilege -

- of serving as our honorary consul

in Bangui, CAR. That is our interest.

On the recording Sherman explains

to the minister of foreign affairs -

- that Sherman and I are

the best of friends -

- and he warmly endorses me

as a diplomat for Liberia.

This really impressed the minister.

As I said, Sherman is The Man.

- I will fast track this personally.

- Thank you, sir.

For this service I had

to give Sherman $35,000 -

- as a secret donation to the

upcoming presidential election.

- Did Mr. Sherman get the envelope?

- Mr. Sherman got the envelope.

The minute he got it, he left for

the Foreign Ministry. Immediately.

- He was very happy.

- Good. When he's happy, I'm happy.

I told the minister I'm not too well,

and he should give me all week...

Yes, my friend. Yes, I'm there.

Let me get in the car so we can talk.

Sherman's special assistant

just called me.

- Is there a problem?

- No.

Your letter of appointment must be

signed by the president herself.

But there was a problem. President

Ellen Johnson had left the country -

- so I could no longer get officially

appointed as the consul of Liberia.

Put your phone over there, so

if it makes a sound, blame your phone.

I would be serving

as a borderline diplomat -

- until the president would have

the time to appoint me herself.

Late at night I had a crisis meeting

with Willem Tijssen and his team.

The man will leave with a diplomatic

passport, a position and appointment.

The president has become involved.

Now she approves the appointment.

I would like to jump in...

No, no, no, stop!

I feel here myself as an idiot.

Because it's also my reputation,

my name, my everything.

I guaranteed personally to Mr. Cortzen

that he would get his position -

- based on the information I got

and the experience we have.

We never had Sherman involved. Now,

suddenly Big Shot has to be involved.

We always played directly

with the minister.

Correct. You know, at one time

Mr. Willem gave me six persons.

Six persons!

We did four in one single day.

- Six diplomatic appointments?

- Yes. In one single day.

You will get your commission

printed out...

The president herself... The president

herself will put a gown on you.

- Like a cape?

- Of course. A blouse.

So, I have here my proposal

for the contract with M. Gilbert.

M. Gilbert. How are you?

It's been a long time.

You no call me.

Why you didn't call him by phone?

Just to speak with him. You call him.

- I called him? When?

- He said, why you didn't call him?

- Ah, he wants me to call him?

- Yes, he expects your phone call.

The contract overrode the contract

issued by the Department of Mines.

It offered M. Gilbert

an investment of 10m CFA francs -

- in return for a steady flow

of diamonds going my way.

- So he likes it?

- Yes.

- Is it okay?

- But it's not okay.

He read it, but he's not a lawyer.

He has also his advisor.

Even in matters of partnership

I understand a lot of things.

So not to rush,

but to read it and do something.

- Which one is my assistant?

- He is.

- And his name is?

- Albert.

I'm very happy he will be

my Pygmy assistant.

They always come in pairs.

Never alone.

- So I have two Pygmy assistants?

- Okay.

I suggest we go for a little sailing

on the river Obangui.

- Albert and...?

- Bernard.

Mads or M. Cortzen.

Okay, let's go to the boat.

When Bokassa fell,

Dacko was installed by the French -

- and upon their demand Dacko let the

public pillage all that they wanted.

And the French military was

ordered to stand back and watch -

- and only protect the embassy

and the residence.

- So there were riots?

- Everything was broken.

- So the French wanted it to collapse?

- Yes.

But why?

If the country had remained

under the regime of Bokassa -

- today it would

be the Switzerland of Africa.

But instead of exporting raw products,

we'd export manufactured products.

But today, when I speak

to other business diplomats -

- I keep hearing the same story.

The companies trying to establish

themselves quickly flee the country.

The French have given the Central

Africans a very bad habit. Corruption.

When they find

a corrupt minister here -

- he automatically gets visa, passport

and a residence permit in France.

The amount of difficulties facing

a businessman here is beyond belief.

Basic necessities you don't get here.

That's a problem.

In another part of town Sumeet and I

were launching the match workshop.

Nice taping technique.

Today, the Central African Republic

is very dependant -

- on the French and the Chinese.

They have to understand

regarding the French -

- that they pretend to be

your friends, but they aren't really.

Here's the new player, the Chinese.

You don't see them very much

in Bangui, but they are here.

But they are very...

They hide themselves.

The Chinese want diamonds, cobalt -

- titanium, gold, iron ore, everything

they can get their hands on.

You have to stop that, because

your resources are your future.

Now I introduce to you

Sumeet from India.

Matches are very important

for our daily needs.

It's a very basic essential commodity

for a living.

- What is this?

- Wood.

Alright. Do you have wood

in your country?

Too much?

So why don't we make matches here?

- We have no possibilities.

- Why?

With the support of Mads and me,

why can't we make this? We can.

But the security situation in the CAR

was as bad as ever.

Before I came to Bangui, armed UN

forces suddenly pulled out of Birao.

They'd protected the most important

town in the "triangle of death " -

- the area where the CAR borders

with Darfur and Chad.

A few weeks later CAR rebels

attacked and conquered Birao.

This was bound to happen, and it

seemed as if some unknown entity -

- wanted Birao to fall

into the hands of the rebels.

The cousin of President Bozize,

MP Willibona Cocksis, also came -

- to my suite for a confidential talk

about the situation in Birao.

- My card.

- Thank you.

Why is there trouble in Birao?

From time to time there are noises

in Birao because there's oil.

There's oil.

And the powers

who want the oil in Birao -

- they create problems.

The affair of Birao is not

a Central African problem.

- It's the forces behind.

- And who are these forces?

Well, the forces that you know well.

Despite the security situation, I had

to venture in direction of Birao -

- to make sure M. Gilbert did

actually possess a diamond mine.

So I chartered a plane and brought

my business partner with me.

We're going straight to Zako.

It's almost two hours.

Then Bria, 30 minutes, and

from Bria we come back to Bangui.

- What is the security in Zako?

- Oh yes, I must tell you that.

If you go into the bush, you can stay

an hour and a half, two hours.

If anything might happen,

and you're not back -

- we're going to take off

and go to Bria.

If you can finish as soon as possible,

no problem.

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