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The story has been told by veteran journalist, Cameron Duodu, about how Ghana’s ambassador to Congo in the 1950s had to hide inside a freezer when his life was under threat, for safety.
It all began in 1958, a year after Ghana’s independence, when the first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah tried to unionise some African countries as part of his Pan-Africanist agenda with which he sought to promote African unity.
Dr. Nkrumah had offered Guinea a loan of over 10 million Pounds which was US$28 million in those days after France withdrew all their assistance following their fight for independence.
This led to an alliance between the two countries with Guinean president, Sekou Toure and Dr. Nkrumah announcing plans to form a union on November 23, 1958.
In June 1960, Nkrumah tried getting Patrice Lumumba, prime minister of Congo to consent to Congo joining the union. During a visit to Ghana, Lumumba signed a secret agreement with Dr. Nkrumah in that regard on the blind side of the Western powers who had economic interests in Congo.
But after Congo’s prime minister, Lumumba’s army – the Force Publique revolted after independence, Nkrumah tried to help by deploying Ghanaian soldiers under the UN, together with nurses, doctors, policemen and other artisans.
During this period, Ghana also opened an embassy in Leopoldville which is now Kinshasa – the capital and largest city of DR. Congo in alliance with Belgium which also established a Belgium embassy in Ghana – Accra.
AYK Djin, Ghana’s first ambassador to Congo who was assisting Congo’s prime minister with financial resources when it was needed was later replaced by a far more flamboyant figure, Nathaniel Azarko Welbeck.
Welbeck was Dr. Nkrumah’s mouthpiece who had used tactical means to preach Nkrumah’s agenda.
Ambassador Welbeck in Congo:
Speaking on GhanaWeb’s ‘The Lowdown’, Cameron Duodu revealed that not long after Welbeck had arrived in Congo’s capital Leopoldville, news reached the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) where he used to work around that time.
The information which came through Radio Leopoldville according to him, announced that Welbeck had been expelled for interrupting and engaging unduly in Congolese affairs.
At this time, Lumumba had been arrested by Joseph Mobutu who was a Belgian Army Chief of Staff.
As a young journalist at the time, Cameron Duodu, having received the news in the newsroom, decided to send it to the office of then President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, having perceived the level of panic it would have caused for Ghanaians in the country and in Congo if the news had been published.
Cameron Duodu explained however the Dr. Nkrumah who did not take it lightly sent for him within some few minutes, scolded him [Cameron] for suggesting such a thing and then dismissed the information.
“He looked at me and said something very straight, “don’t send such news here, this is not a news agency,” Cameron said.
Ghana Ambassador hides in freezer:
Within 2 weeks after, there was news that Congolese soldiers had encircled the Ghana embassy in Leopoldville to eject Welbeck and they threatened a shootout with the Tunisian troops guarding the embassy.
According to the veteran broadcaster, for days, Welbeck refused to come out. On one of the days, a Congolese soldier opened fire and Welbeck went to hide inside a freezer to avoid being killed.
“In 2 weeks, we heard news that Congolese soldiers had gone to the embassy to expel him by force because he said that he will not go. He had to hide in a freezer, until eventually he was freed by the Commander of the Ghana Army – General H.T Alexander. He went to the embassy, picked him from the freezer, and drove him to Leopoldville airport and put him on a plane,” he said.
About Welbeck
Welbeck, Nathaniel Azarko was Ghanaian Politician and a Diplomat. He was a founding member of the Convention People’s Party and minister of state in the First Republic.
He was the great-grandson of Philip Quaque of Cape Coast. He first married Ms. Sarah Andrews and they had a daughter together. The marriage lasted from 1942 to 1950. He married Ms. Esther Quarm in 1954.
Welbeck was born at Cape Coast on 25 September 1915 to Madam Adwoa Twi and Nomo Welbeck.
