Simpson, who was working for a safari company, said that he came across a pile of mutilated bodies in the remote east of the country, but after he reported this to the authorities he and his colleagues were arrested and charged with the murders, a crime that carries the death penalty.
Speaking to the Observer, Simpson and his family, game farmers from the Yorkshire village of Gillamoor, expressed frustration at the lack of diplomatic efforts being made on his behalf. However, on Friday afternoon Henry Bellingham, a Foreign Office minister, said that he had met Antoine Gambi, the foreign minister of the Central African Republic, who had been "sympathetic" to Simpson's case.
McIntosh said: "Henry Bellingham phoned me to tell me that Antoine Gambi is going to raise it with the justice minister and the police commissioner. He has also requested that our non-resident ambassador can present his credentials, which will open the path to formal talks.
"The Central African Republic is one of the most dangerous countries in the world. And David knew that when he went there. The problem has been that we have no diplomatic representation there. Having our ambassador formally accredited is a very positive development." Speaking from prison in Bangui, the country's capital, Simpson expressed cautious optimism yesterday: "I was visited by the honorary consul this morning, who knew nothing of this. I certainly hope it's true. The problem is that the minister of justice is currently under house arrest under suspicion of being involved in a coup d'etat, so I'm not sure if speaking to him will have much effect.
"The government is in such disarray that normal procedures simply don't work. It would take a phone call from someone at the top of the British government to have any effect."
Human Rights Watch intervened on behalf of the imprisoned men last week, publishing the results of their own investigation into the killings. It concluded that all evidence suggested that the murders had been carried out by the Lord's Resistance Army led by the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.
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