“Dude, Where’s My Pandur?”

On February 3, 2006, it was reported that 15 of Belgium’s Pandur armored personnel carriers were stolen, together with radio equipment and field kitchens. The equipment was meant for a Beninese battalion that is part of the UN force in the Congo. Thanks to some help from DID’s Benelux reader David Vandenberghe, DID can bring you the details. In December a ship under the flag of Saint Kitts & Nevis (VRT’s report was incorrect) left the Belgian port of Zeebrugge for Congo, chartered by Geodis under the auspices of the UN. The cargo ship never made it to its destination. Four weeks ago the ship was seized in a port in Equatorial Guinea… The MV Eurocarrier ship had apparently made an unplanned stop without permission from Geodis in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in West Africa. VRT reports that the four Beninese soldiers that were guarding the material were imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea, while the expensive freight was taken off the ship. This apparently happened about 6 weeks ago; meanwhile GvA (Newspaper from Antwerp) reports that the Beninese guards were released almost in late January 2006; the 23 ship crew are reported to be “under house arrest.” Pandur APC(click to view full) […]