That’s the question the Belgian military are asking today, after it emerged that 15 of their Pandur armoured personnel carriers were stolen from under the UN’s noses.
I suppose it’s worth mentioning at this point that 15 Pandur APCs actually represent fully one-quarter of Belgium’s total inventory. Or a third of its remaining inventory, take your pick.
They’d lent the Pandur (such a good name) APCs to the UN, for a peacekeeping operation in Africa. This is pretty standard practice for Western nations, who want to seem like committed international citizens – they supply the equipment for peacekeeping missions, while Third World soldiers risk their lives.
Anyway, the ship carrying the Pandurs seems to have been diverted to a port in Equatorial Guinea, where the crew and soldiers guarding them were arrested, and the Pandurs were nicked. The soldiers (from Benin, not Belgium) were released, but no-one knows where they are now.
The Guinean President denies all knowledge, the UN Secretary General will be sending a team of investigators to… investigate and meanwhile, the Belgians are understandably a little annoyed – but only a little, as they’ve clearly decided that invading Equatorial Guinea would be an over-reaction.
“Army spokesman Nick Van Haver confirms that the ship is still kept under embargo and that the UN is looking for a diplomatic solution. He added that Belgium is only lending the material to the UN and that it is the UN that has to deal with the matter now.”
I guess the bottom line is that someone will have to pay for it. Most likely, the money isn’t going to come from Belgium, or the Equatorial Guinea. No, it’s the UN’s beleaguered peacekeeping division that will no doubt have to foot the bill.
Story via Joe at Winds of Change who, like me, was big enough to refrain from suggesting that now might be a good time to invade Belgium.
Andy, it’s always a good time to invade Belgium. Just on general principle. It just sounds like now is a more opportune time…