‘Unlawful killing’ by Congolese soldiers (From The Northern Echo)

‘Unlawful killing’ by Congolese soldiers

10:44am Thursday 9th July 2009 in

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AN unarmed oil worker was shot trying to rescue colleagues from a boat being attacked by Congolese soldiers, an inquest heard.

Father-of-three Carl Nefdt, of Staithes, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, died on Lake Albert, Uganda, when men claiming to be members of the Congolese army opened fire on his rescue boat.

The 31-year-old was working as IMC Geophysics International’s party chief for a seismic survey being carried out for the Heritage Oil Corporation.

Teesside Coroner’s Court heard how a team of Mr Nefdt’s men were working on a barge in Ugandan waters on August 2, 2007, when they were approached by a motorboat at about 3pm, carrying six armed soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The soldiers told them they were in Congolese waters and asked them to move, before leaving.

About 30 armed Congolese soldiers, aboard two motorboats, returned at midnight that day and the workers on the barge radioed Mr Nefdt.

Mr Nefdt joined a group of armed Ugandans and set off in a rescue boat to retrieve his staff.

The Congolese soldiers then surrounded the rescue boat and opened fire.

Shots were returned by the Ugandans.

It is believed Mr Nefdt was killed by a single gunshot wound to his shoulder and chest.

He was declared dead in the early hours of August 3 and Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield recorded a verdict that Mr Nefdt was killed unlawfully.

He said according to the evidence and the equipment available to pin-point the barge’s position, it was likely the incident took place in Ugandan waters.

Mr Nefdt, who was married to Angela, had worked for IMC since 1996, during which time he had been involved on seismic surveys in Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar and Morocco as well as throughout Europe.

Speaking after the inquest, his mother, Joyce Hugill, paid tribute to her son.

She said: “It is a waste of a life but he died caring for other people.

“He would do anything for anybody and he loved working out there. He was a very popular guy and he will be sadly missed.”

Since Mr Nefdt’s death, Heritage Oil Corporation has built a school in Uganda, near to the company’s base and named it after him.

It has been twinned with Seton Community Primary School in Staithes.