Soldier cites ‘Um Bongo’ slurs in case against MOD

A BRITISH ARMY sergeant is suing the Ministry of Defence for racial discrimination after his colleagues used the words “Um Bongo” in front of him.

Sgt Flloyd Campbell claims that he suffered regular racist abuse during his 11 years in the military that was either ignored or brushed away.

A senior officer was said to have excused a corporal who called Sgt Campbell the N-word, arguing the slur had been used “mistakenly” after the soldier had picked it up from “banter among black basketball players”.

Sgt Campbell, who is in the Royal Logistic Corps, claims to have suffered from bouts of depression as a result of the alleged racist abuse and has taken the MOD to an employment tribunal.

At a preliminary hearing in Exeter, the panel ruled that though the allegations are up to six years old and, therefore, out of date, Sgt Campbell’s case can be heard as he had been ‘unaware’ until 2020 that he could pursue his claims outside of the military.

The tribunal heard that in November 2016 he complained that a fellow corporal – named in tribunal documents as Cpl Lynch – called him the N-word.

In August 2017 he submitted further complaints of racist language and behaviour from Cpl Lynch, Cpl Spence and Cpl Dixon.

Cpl Spence was said to have continually used the term “Um Bongo” – apparently a reference to the 1980s juice drink Um Bongo – despite having been

‘A corporal who used the N-word had picked it up from “banter among black basketball players”’

repeatedly told by colleagues it was “racist and offensive”.

Sgt Campbell was told in August 2018 by the military’s Service Prosecuting Authority that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Cpls Lynch and Spence but the offences were at the “lower end” of criminal culpability and it was “not in the public interest” to do so. A full hearing will adjudicate on Sgt Campbell’s claims and decide whether he is due compensation.