Sudan Update 11

I must start by apologizing for the delay in updates. I returned from leave (vacation) on Monday but instead of telling you about that, I would like to use this update to provide you with some information on the current situation in Sudan. Please note that this email is only my personal view on the situation and does not represent the UN in any way.

First, let me begin by assuring you that I am safe and in one of the most secure sectors in the mission. As the countdown to 9 July secession date approaches, we are experiencing increased tribal, military, and civil conflict within South Sudan. There are numerous factions, for a multitude of reasons, that are working quite hard to destabilize the region and create an insecure environment. The most notable areas of violence are, predictably, along the contested borderline of North and South Sudan. It is heart wrenching, disappointing, and at times shocking to observe such horrific acts of violence, anger, and hatred. Many team sites are unable to patrol as they are being told, by the parties to the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement), that our mandate is complete and consequently their safety cannot be guaranteed.

Those of us in areas that are still able to patrol are continuing to note an increase in denial of freedom of movement and some negative vibes from local populations. In my sector, there has recently been a UN smear campaign by local newspapers and radio stating that the UN is supplying the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army of Uganda) with weapons, so you can imagine some of the delicate situations we are now dealing with. The UNMIS chain of command quickly countered these negative propaganda attacks and we have been working diligently this past month to broadcast our true mandate and improve public relations. We have encountered some angry mobs and lost a few vehicle windows. That being said, I was patrol leader today to RINGASI and noticed that most locals still smiled and waved as we drove past, definitely a good sign.

Despite the slightly negative tone of this update, I want to leave you with the assurance that many of us within the mission and the local population remain exceedingly positive and hopeful for a bright, secure, and peaceful future for the people of both the North and South Sudan. I imagine that the next few weeks will bring much media attention and spotlight on this newly emerging country, please take the reports that you hear with a grain of salt and send your best wishes and prayers for the future of this fragile, beautiful nation.

Sudan Update 10

1 May – 9 May 2011 I had my first vacation; we call it CTO. We work seven days a week and get one CTO (day off) for each five days we work that we can accumulate and take in a lump sum. Considering that my first break was short, and it takes a minimum of four days to travel to and from my team site and out of the country, I decided to visit neighbouring Uganda . The UN also has a free flight to Entebbe , Uganda twice a week, which I took advantage of.  

 

 

Since I travelled the week after the riots in Uganda , the security situation in Kampala was slightly tense. But this simply translated into a much stronger police presence on the streets than would normally be seen -- which is not a bad thing.  

 

 

I must admit that I had quite a culture shock my first night in Kampala. Everything seemed too fast, too modern, too busy.









I was with a few fellow UN personnel from UNAMID, the UN mission in Darfur, and we stayed in a typical local hotel which was pretty sketchy but luxurious compared to what is available in South Sudan .

So while the accommodations weren’t exactly ideal, the bed had a bug net, so that was a good start for one night.

From the balcony outside the restaurant, I took pictures of areas that had been burned during the rioting (yes mom, I'm just telling you this now). We walked quite a bit of the city as the temperature was moderate (high 20s) and I was eager to explore and enjoy this metropolitan African city despite its crowded, modern, dirty downtown area.

 

While wealth and development is obvious, there remains a raw edge to the city. The stark contrast to my world in Yambio was immediately apparent and I must say that I did not feel at ease. My fellow UN mates were all police from Fiji and Nepal and were quite shocked that I was able to walk the distance we did, maybe 4 km tops, seriously? lol!

 

The next morning, I tried to leave bright and early to meet up with my safari group outside of the city and head to Murchison Falls and my three day Ugandan safari trip. Taxis, in the Canadian sense, do not exist in Uganda ! Instead, there are many private drivers with business cards who will take you anywhere. There are also vans, which act as buses, with people packed into and hanging out of them. These vans drive up and down the main streets making frequent stops. But to call a taxi to a hotel is unheard of! So the hotel clerk called a friend of his instead. 45 min later he hadn't arrived, and now it was pouring rain ... So one of the other hotel guests offers to drive me. Does this sound sketchy? Not in Uganda ! So, I get in the car with him and his co-driver and we proceed to try to find Red Chili - the safari outfit. Now, this guy owns his car, but has no idea how to use his defroster. Pretty funny actually. He was from the DRC, so we communicated in French - excellent.

 

 

With the help of my new found friends from the DRC and a local boda (sketchy motorcycle taxi) driver, I arrived at the hostel and met the group that I would be spending the next three days with. We travelled north for about five hours with a couple stops to eat and use some rather interesting facilities!

When we arrived at the campsite I immediately felt more at home in my tent in the middle of the woods. Animals roamed the camp freely, nature abounded, there were trees as far as the eye could see,

and no shortage of mosquitoes or giant bugs.




 

 

 

Over the next few days I participated in numerous safari experiences, a night river animal cruise, land safaris in an open top bus, boat safaris, and a hike around Murchison Falls.

It was awesome! We had a small group of eight in a little van, which allowed for an intimate and personalized experience. 

 

It was exactly the type of safari experience that I yearned for and one of the reasons why I chose Uganda over neighbouring Tanzania or Kenya. 

 

 

 

We saw no shortage of gorgeous landscapes, spectacular sunrises, divine sunsets, or frolicking animals.

 

We were even lucky enough to observe a few lions, one of which stopped right near our vehicle for a complete grooming session.

 

The hippos were immense, the elephants serene, the giraffes majestic, the bamboos playful, the warthogs hilarious, and the buffalo powerful.

 

Back in Entebbe after the safari, the contrast of two distinct worlds was again strikingly apparent. 

The ultra luxurious hotels are constructed adjacent to slums;

                                                      modern air conditioned grocery stores can be found next to metal stalls stocked with a variety of goods.

 

                                        The UN is quite prevalent in the community here and therefore many bars, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, and craft stores have sprung up to accommodate the demand. The National Palace is also found in Entebbe as is the airport.

 

I spent a few nights in a nice hotel there -- slept, sunbathed, and swam. Massages were $13 for an hour; I had many of these and worked on my tan. Food selection was exciting as they even had cucumbers and pizza! My first night I decided to order room service. I was pleasantly surprised to find a menu in my room, but was quickly brought back to reality as I tried to order. They were out of most items, a common theme here in Sudan as well. You almost feel like asking what actually is available … but instead you go through the charade of asking for repeated items that are not available and trying to guess what they might actually have in the kitchen! Always a fun game. J

 

The best hotel I stayed at during my vacation was right on Lake Victoria.

It led into a gorgeous local park where you could swim in a pool or the lake, buy food, drink, and had fabulous R&B music playing from early in the morning until late at night. The vibe was mellow and welcoming.




 

My return flight from Entebbe to Juba was cancelled due to weather conditions in Juba -- it is the rainy season after all -- and rescheduled for the next day. So, I spent one extra day in the water working on my tan ;) When we finally made it to Juba we missed our connection to Yambio and had to wait for three more days until another helo was making its way out to the team site.

 

 

That provided an opportunity to spend a few days meeting everyone in Juba , which is our Sector Headquarters. It was nice to put faces to those people whom I communicate with via email and telephone for my day to day duties.  

 

Everywhere you go everyone wants to be able to contact you. People are forever asking for cell numbers. But how will I contact you, they ask? I am thinking, contact me -- I don't even know you! Definitely takes some getting used to!  

 

Well that is about it for my first vacation break. I am currently in Ethiopia at the beginning of my second, longer vacation, but more about that in another update!