Canada
Freed former-president of the UN Security Council Committee on sanctions against UNITA
Ottawa - The former Canadian ambassador in United Nations and the former-president of the Security Council Committee on sanctions against UNITA, Robert Fowler, abducted in Niger, in December 2008, by a terrorist group connected to Al-Qaida, was released last April 23rd, in a village next to the Mali.
Robert Fowler had been named, last summer, special envoy for Niger of the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to help in the peace efforts between the government of that African country and the Tuareg rebellious forces.
However, on December 14th of 2008, the diplomat Fowler, his Canadian assistant Louis Guay and a local driver, were abducted when returning from Niamey, capital of the Niger, after having visited some gold mines that Canada owns in that area.
The African faction of the al-Qaida terrorist organization in the Islamic region of the Maghreb (AQIM, acronym in English), responsible for the abduction intended to demand in return the release of their imprisoned coreligionists in diverse jails based in Africa.
When confirming, this Wednesday, the release of the two Canadian diplomats, the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, assured that both were under the care of the Malian Government and that all efforts are being made to ensure their fast return to the country.
The work done by the ambassador Robert Fowler, while president of the UN Security Council Committee on sanctions against UNITA, helped blocking this party diamond sales, that was used for the acquisition of weapons, which contributed considerably to weaken this political organization military section.
Robert Fowler considered the humanitarian situation in Angola, during the war period, more serious than the one observed in the Balkans and therefore believed that the sanctions would magnify the war costs for UNITA and diminish its financial income.
After finishing his mission in United Nations, Robert Fowler worked as ambassador of his country in Italy while at the same time he exerted the functions of special Advisor on African subjects for the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chreatien and later on Paul Martin.
Since the Liberal party lost the federal elections in Canada in 2006, he started dedicating himself more to his teaching career at the university of Ottawa and to the advocacy of the questions concerning the African continent, having as result of that been named special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Niger.
