By Cecilia Ologunagba
New York, Aug. 21, 2021
The African Diaspora Congress (ADC) has called on Indonesia government to be committed to the implementation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations by protecting its foreign diplomats.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries.
The ADC made the appeal in a statement by its Secretary- General, Prof. Apollos Nwauwa, and Dr Jean-Marie Watonsi, its Director of Media and Publicity.
In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, ADC stated that the call became important following the recent happening where a Nigerian diplomat was manhandled by Indonesian immigration officials.
In a video that went viral, it shows three Indonesian immigration officials pinning the diplomat into the back seat of a moving vehicle.
One immigration official holds the diplomat’s arm and another pushes on his head as the man screams “I can’t breathe” and “my neck, my neck.”
“Such aggression on a foreign diplomat is highly condemnable under any circumstances because it breaches all ethical, diplomatic and international protocols.
“Therefore, we at the ADC strongly condemn this blatant show of disrespect and wanton abuse of an African diplomat.
“It should be recognised that any insult and/or violence against Africans anywhere are viewed by ADC as an assault on black peoples everywhere. We are deeply offended.’’
According to ADC, the Indonesia government should do more than apologising; the country should make a firm commitment to protect African diplomats.
The Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry had on Aug. 12 apologised for the manhandling of the diplomat and that a formal investigation of the incident had been launched.
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah told reporters that there had been multiple meetings with Nigerian officials since the incident, including discussions with the ambassador in Jakarta.
“This is an isolated incident, and is in no way related to the commitment of the Indonesian government in carrying out its obligations as host country or in accordance with the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations,” Faizasyah said.
According to the statement, ADC is fully committed to the protection of human rights, rule of law and good governance both in Africa and around the world.
“Africans and its Diaspora community will no longer sit back, and watch our people being mistreated anywhere in the world as evident in this hideous video.
“This culture of lack of regard for blacks should be denounced by all decent people. Africans, and indeed all blacks, deserve to be treated with dignity as accorded to other races of humankind,’’ the statement said.
