France is in a tight spot. It covets Angola’s immense wealth but its justice system continues to act against the nation’s best interests.

By Chérif Elvalide Sèye, Dakar

The French justice system is about to undo Nicholas Sarkozy’s diplomatic efforts. In May, he visited the new oil superpower, as France is interested in Angola for its wealth. Total, represented by its general manager Christophe de Margerie also, paid a visit while Areva has the African nation’s uranium deposits in its sights. Thalès hopes to have its share of the pie in a country in need of reconstruction. This was the first time in ten years that a French head of state paid a visit to Luanda after the French justice system’s inquiry into weapons deals there between 1993 and 2000 during a civil war that resulted in the death of thousands.

Misunderstandings

Yet, Paris spared no expense to keep its presidential promise to “to turn a new page on the misunderstandings of the past”. Thus, in this strange corruption case, the alleged corrupt perpetrators have yet to sit in the defendant’s booth. No Angolans have been brought before the courts. Indeed, Angolan impunity seems to have even been extended to the Frenchman who is a central figure in this scandal. After being arrested, Pierre Falcone was appointed to a representative post on behalf of UNESCO to have diplomatic immunity and, thus, be beyond the reach of the French judicial system. The other lead actor in this corruption drama is Arcadi Gaydamak, an Israeli of Russian ancestry who sought exile in Israel. Paris also pleaded on behalf of the Angolan government.

 These concessions will prove futile as the case has already been opened and this is more than the Angolan government can stand.

On July 11, the French Minister of Defence, Hervé Morin, addressed a letter to Pierre Falcone’s legal counsel in which he attacked the French prosecution, maintaining that, if no transit occurred on French soil, legislation on arms trading cannot apply in this case. The French justice system found his argument fallacious, stating that, as the signing of the contracts occurred in France, French jurisdiction does apply in this instance.

An exercise in futility

These concessions will prove futile as the case has already been opened and this is more than the Angolan government can stand. The African nation hired attorney Teitgen who argued that the case would violate the sovereignty of Angola and air the dirty laundry of its defence policies. It is a fact that the deal involved the sale of ammunition, small arms, combat helicopters, missiles, and landmines from Russia, Bulgaria, Poland and Kirghistan. The Angolans are threatening to drag France before the International Criminal Court. Despite all the pressure it has levied, the French government has failed to make the socialist Minister of Justice withdraw the accusation.

The case is certainly unique: a seven-year investigation, a 468-page long committal for trial, numbering 42, and celebrity defendants that include the son of former French president François Mitterrand, his former advisor Jacques Attali, former Home Secretary, Charles Pasqua, former magistrate and current UMP representative, Georges Fenech, and renowned author, Paul-Loup Sulitzer. The stakes are high: 790 million dollars high.