Reality Check

Well we have come to the end of our training in Khartoum and it has been an interesting last few days. There was a lot of discussion surrounding the safety, security, and hazards we may face while working in the field These include diseases and viruses, natural disasters, violent protests, and last, but not least, hijackings and kidnappings. My partner and I will be in Torit which we have been told is at a phase 3 security level. This means we may have a curfew to adhere to.



Vehicle Training at UN Base in Khartoum German and Australian Military



A history lesson on Sudan was very interesting. The rest of the team and I had heard about the fact that Osama Bin Laden had lived in Sudan for a period of time approximately 15 years ago after leaving Saudi Arabia and before entering Afghanistan. He apparently had and still owns businesses and land here. In 2005 Al Quaeda declared jihad against the UNMIS (United Nations Mission in Sudan). The security level went from a phase 1 to a phase 2 and later returned to a phase 1 after the threats were quelled. In 2007, the UN was declared an Al Quaeda target. The light blue helmets and hats are apparently no longer a shield from being attacked.

Where we are going in southern Sudan, the rainy season will be starting. Along with this will come a multitude of mosquitoes which brings malaria to the forefront when it comes to diseases. Malaria has already killed several people due to the fact that they tend to ignore the symptoms until it is too late. We all have medication and should be well protected. I lucked out and got the good shit. Not only does it protect me from catching it, but it is also a treatment for it. There has also been a recent outbreak of cholera down south, however, we have been told it has not affected our area of work yet. We have also taken medication to protect us from this.



Peacekeeper's Ceremony at the UN Base in Khartoum


Given that it is the rainy season, we may have flooding to deal with. When it rains there it pours and getting around by vehicle can be quite the ordeal. Haboob season is also upon us. A haboob is a sand storm that can come out of no where and are quite common. They seriously affect your visibility when driving and if you are outside, you should be heading for cover until it clears. We haven’t had one yet here in Khartoum since we arrived, but I am hoping to see one. I don’t thing they will be an issue once we are in the south.

In southern Sudan, it is very undeveloped in a lot of the smaller villages. There are over 500 different tribes in Sudan as well and a lot of them speak different languages which should be interesting. The people also lack the social skills we are used to which means a protest against government, military, the UN, can turn violent quickly and life does not have the same value as it does to us.

Our induction class was told that we have a 50% chance of being hijacked or abducted by rebel groups. We were also told that this may or may not involve some minor torture. For my posting this will mean we will be dealing with the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). We received a lecture and then had practical scenarios on what to do should we become involved in a situation like this.



Just after Hijack Training with the Rwandan Army



At the end of the day, only one person has been killed back in 2002, the details of this are unknown. We were told that they are looking for money, supplies, or your vehicle and will strip you of everything and in some cases even your shoes. The torture is basically that they will kick you around a bit if they do anything at all. Usually they just want what you have and as long as you cooperate, it will not be a problem. The practical scenarios were intense and very realistic. They used the Rwandan soldiers for our scenarios and they did a great job. We only had one minor injury. When rebels get you to lay flat on your stomach, don’t move or you might be eating gravel. It is meant to prepare us just in case so that we can remain calm if we find ourselves in this kind of situation.

In reality, the UN is doing their job by giving us the worst case scenario of what we could face in the field. This is a good thing. Prepare for the worst and anything that happens will be minor and we will be ready for. In addition, my partner and I will be living in the UN compound which has heavy security. There are also evacuation procedures in place should something go sideways. I am confident that we will be safe. I am just not sure that if everyone on the team had known of the potential hazards that exist, if they would have still come on the mission. I, personally, am more concerned about the fucking mosquitoes and the fact that I can only shower in the morning after sweating my bag off all day.

Asalaam Alykum,

Gonzo


Change of Command from one Contingent Commander to the next. No it's not a sceptre and yes it is a donkey whip.

More Training

Well we have learned a few things during our induction training with the UN. The most important things I have learned about what to expect from our mission and our postings is from talking to other police and military personnel. There were, however, some good lectures that opened my eyes to how Sudan works. There is a constitution and there are laws and a criminal justice system in place, however, they are rarely followed.


Lounging with the boys after another hard day
of training. Yes it's Bacardi and yes it was snuck in.


Sharia Law is Muslim law which exists mainly in northern Sudan. It is basically based on muslim tradition and religion. For example, Muslims do not drink alcohol as part of their religion. If they are caught, they could receive 50 lashes. Children receive lashes too for not praying as they should. They pray 5 times a day here. If a women complains of sexual assault she is placed in custody until the suspect turns himself in. There have to be at least 4 witnesses as well. If a woman is arrested, she can bring her children with her to keep them safe. She is given one meal a day for herself and the children are given nothing. There is an 11 year old girl that has been in prison since January 2006 for murder. In order for her family to get her out they have to pay 30 cows or the $15,000 which is the equivalent. In southern Sudan, they barely have jail cells. If they do, it is 4 walls. Not toilet or water, you sleep on the ground, and men, women, and children stay in the same jail cell. Where there are no jail cells, the arrested are trees or kept in make shift jails made of sticks and wire.



Sexually Transmitted Infection lecture. Something we will likely be teaching as part of our duties.



My partner and I can not wait to get to our mission in Torit. The rest of our team as well is looking forward to getting to their postings. It has been a long week and a half, and hopefully we do not have to spend too much time in Juba.

Cheers,

Gonzo

The Nile

In Khartoum, Sudan, the blue Nile meets the white Nile. Yesterday, Some of the team and I took a tour of the city and went to see the Nile. It was pretty cool. I dipped my foot in it. I apologize, but I could not take any photos without risking getting arrested. It would not be good. It sometimes feels like I am in a movie. Between the heat, the elaborately decorated Tuk Tuks (three wheel mini taxis) blazing by while you risk your life trying to cross the street, or the prayers that you can hear echoing throughout Khartoum during the day, this place is definitely an eye opener and a place I can call home for now. The only thing missing are a few waves and my surfboard...and beer...and vodka.

Cheers,

Gonzo.



Training with Ghana and Nepal Police

UN Induction

Well we’re here. Stuck in Khartoum. The last five days are a good indication of what the next two weeks are going to be like. We are basically to be at the UN base daily at 8:00am regardless if there is anything for us to do. That includes weekends because we are working 7 days a week for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, and if we can be released, we get our first 6 days off.

We spend the day doing administrative tasks which I’m not going to try to bore you with. Yesterday pretty much all we did was open a bank account. The UN is a big international machine with people from all over the world, many without the work ethic or standards of service that we are used to at home. An example is the fact that we are being given an english exam on Saturday. I’m not kidding. It sounds ridiculous, but they have to treat everyone the same and thus, they have to cater to the lowest denominator. Nothing worse than being told that someone speaks english and they get here and can’t speak a word. This has apparently happened in the past. I sure hope I pass my english test. We also have a driving test some time within the next week and a half.

Today was a bonus. We were given our postings. One of my colleagues and I are going to Torit which is located in the Eastern Equatoria state of southern Sudan bordering Kenya and Uganda. Our initial duties will be to do community policing. I will also be involved with investigations when and my partner will be involved with training. Our duties, however, could change at the last second and will likely involve a little bit of everything. Feels good to finally know where we are going though. The rainy season has started there so it should be interesting. It is apparently malaria central due to the mosquito population. We will be leaving the desert and entering the jungle.

We were told soon after getting our postings that if stopped by rebels, we should just give up everything to avoid any confrontation. I think we will stick to that. The main rebel group in the area has been the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which has attacked small villages in the outskirts of Torit and Juba in the past. They have abducted the women and children to be used as slaves, soldiers and sex slaves. Their rebellion is against the Ugandan government, however they have settled across the border in Sudan. In addition, most of the regions former population has become internally displaced by the violence of the Second Sudanese Civil War which adds to the turmoil in the area. It is also the region with one of the larger landmine zones. 41% being declared a landmine zone and 51% still unknown. Sudan is a big country and there is so much conflict going on in so many different places for so many different reasons it is difficult to comprehend how people can actually make a life here.

I have been able to snag a few photographs of Khartoum in a covert manner, but I don’t see this happening much in the future so I apologize for the lack of photos. I have been warned that my ass is not covered if I get arrested by the Sudan Police or the Sudan Armed Forces. This is understandable as I’ve been warned.

Salaam Alykum,

Gonzo.



The Rwandan military does all of the
security at the UN base. They are highly
respected here.

Day 1 - Settling into Khartoum

The flight from Ottawa to Khartoum, Sudan was awesome. First class all of the way. From Montreal to Frankfurt we flew with Lufthansa and had our own “pods” in first class. You basically had everything you needed and the best part is that you don’t have to sit next to anybody and your seat turns into a little cot so you can lay flat and go to sleep.

Flying into Khartoum, Sudan was a phenomenal sight. Desert for as far as you could see with little make shift villages that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Khartoum was an interesting sight from the airplane with what looked like very rustic housing developments to bigger newer apartment like buildings coming out of nowhere. A lot of these buildings have the top floors unfinished. The reason being that if it is not finished, you don’t pay taxes. We were told before leaving not to take any photos from the plane or at the airport as the Sudanese government was on high alert due to recent altercations between the rebels and the Sudan military just outside the city. The airport was small with not much there. Security was very loose, or at least that’s what it looked like to me. None of us had any problems at the airport.

We were picked up by the current RCMP/UN Contingent Commander and given a quick briefing while we waited for a vehicle to load up our gear. We were quickly reminded again that we were not to take any photographs at the airport or in the city as one of our troop members started snapping photos. He told us that any military or police seeing us take photos at the airport or in the city of Khartoum could create problems at this time due to the government being on high alert. Our short briefing continued while we were driven to our home for the first week , Canada House. It is where a lot of military personnel stay when working in Khartoum, first arriving in Khartoum, or when leaving Khartoum. I took some photos on the way.

At Canada House, we were briefed quickly about the house by one of the military commanders staying there. We were then advised that Khartoum is currently under a level 2 alert and not to go out of the compound alone and to stay away from two main food/restaurant centres. He told us that he could not give us anymore detail than that, so we assumed that intelligence exists that these two food/restaurant centres may be targets of attack. Alcohol is illegal in Khartoum, but at the house we can apparently drink. The military guys are all excited that we may be posted to southern Sudan because alcohol is allowed there as it is mostly Christian. They want us to bring as much as we can carry to Khartoum when we come back. The house itself is very clean and could be described more as a decent hostel. We are 4 in a room and 2 in a smaller room. It is comfortable and I will make sure I enjoy it before we get posted because then, I have a feeling the living conditions could be different.

Some of us joined the military guys to head to a food market at night. They had everything you needed there, but everything was over priced. When we left the market, there was a little boy about 5 years old not wearing any shoes in a ratted shirt and shorts begging for money, food, or anything. I was told before coming to Khartoum not to give anything to people begging because then they wouldn’t leave you alone. I gave him a Sudanese pound. It’s like 50 cents Canadian. He just walked away. On the way back we saw one of the many IDP’s (Internally Displaced People) laying a mattress on the ground to go to sleep. Around the next corner, a truck on the move with a young man in the box of it holding an AK-47. That’s all for now.

Cheers from Khartoum,

Gonzo

Goodbye for Now

Our training has been completed and I am now in the process of making some final personal pre-deployment preparations. This is basically packing and buying anything that I think I might need while in Sudan for nine months as well as taking a breather, enjoying a little down time, and decide on what to eat as my final meals before leaving Canada.

Overall, I have packed pretty light. Hopefully not too light. Along with our barrack boxes which contained mostly issued kit, we were given two large duffel bags for personal clothing and effects. I barely filled one. I am bringing next to nothing for clothes because I don’t think I’m really going to need that much. Some of the guys in my troop went to Costco and bought tons of food. I am not bringing anything. Personal choice, but I also have no idea what I would want to bring. I am also looking forward to not having all the comforts of home and figuring it out when I get there. I hope I do not regret this. This being said , after being told stories of the potential lack of facilities, wiping your ass with your hand or on a communal stick, and traveller’s diarrhoea, I decided it might be important to bring along my own wiping aid. It was actually a toss up between a smooth rock, Wet Wipes and Depends. You will all be happy to know that I went with the Wet Wipes.

On Friday evening, one of the members of our troop, Charles, invited us over to his home for some traditional African cuisine. He and his family are from Ghana in west Africa. He is a hereditary chief of his hometown in Ghana and his wife, Victoria, is the daughter of a King making her a Princess. I will not go into detail here, but listening to some of his stories is pretty interesting to say the least. The food was delicious. I especially enjoyed the goat. Tastes just like at home mom! One of the side dishes was “shito”, a paste made of shrimp and a variety of pepper and spices. It was really good. I made sure I let the cook know this and sure enough, I was able to scam a big jar to take with me for seasoning my own rice and goat. In addition, Charles had us all try on some traditional African clothing known as a “bubu“ in Ghana. Then he had us pick what we wanted to take with us on our mission. It was totally unexpected and after se veral moments of disbelief at his charity, I picked out what I liked as did everyone else. I think the Portuguese and Ghanians would get along really well. We all had a lot of fun and at the end of the evening, thanked Charles and Victoria for their extraordinary hospitality. I didn’t get to kiss the cook, but I gave her a big hug.

Saturday I finished all of my laundry and picked up some minor last second items at the local mall. The packing was pretty easy. Especially given that I am really not bring much with me. Some of the members of my troop and I headed downtown for the afternoon. We had sushi for lunch. It was great sitting in the sun on a patio, drinking a cold beer, and munching on some fresh tuna sashimi. For dinner we went to a local pub for some steak and more beer to be followed by some more beer and some minor celebration for finally going on our mission.

It’s Sunday now and I am ready to fly out. Everyone in my troop remains positive and we are excited to finally be flying out. Not sure when I’ll be able to fill you in on more, but I’m sure it will be a lot more interesting than the last few weeks have been. I will be sure to post as many entries and photos as I can when I can. Goodbye for now.

Cheers,

Gonzo








This one is for the boys...Future UN Peacekeeper?

Week 2 of Training

My second week of training in Ottawa has been somewhat torturous. My troop and I still have no clue as to what are duties will be in Sudan either which is somewhat disconcerting. We were exposed to some of the issues we might face while on mission, however, which we all found to be useful information. Nobody really has the answers we want to hear including what our job functions will be and exactly where we will be posted. As well, no one really has a solid insight into the recent conflict between the Sudanese military and rebels near Khartoum which is where we are to land. My troop and I fly out on Sunday from Ottawa to Frankfurt, Germany. We arrive at approximately 0630 and are there until about 10:30 when we finally fly out to Khartoum, Sudan arriving at 17:15. The bonus is that we fly first class all the way. I will be taking full advantage of this and I mean FULL.

My troop and I were basically told that we were guinea pigs for an outside independent contracting company for peacekeeping training, whose name I will not mention, to promote their curriculum for a possible future contract with the RCMP. It has been more of a hardship than I think Sudan will be. Basically, maybe 25% of the training has been relevant and/or useful this second week. Between the painful training this second week and getting the last minute packing and administration matters completed, the week has been dragging along very slowly. We are all ready to fly out...the sooner the better.

In addition, we have not been told exactly what our duties will be or where we will be posted in Sudan. So far the rumour is we will spend anywhere between 5 days, 2 weeks, or 5 weeks in the capital of Khartoum training with the UN (United Nations). Upon completion of our training, we may or may not be deployed to southern Sudan for the start of our mission which may or may not include the duties of community policing, police training, and human rights investigations. Also, once an appropriate assessment of the region of Darfur is completed, we may or may not be re-deployed into the Darfur region. We are going in blind to say the least.

We were given the opportunity to watch a video with respect to the current civil/political unrest, genocide, and other human rights violations that have occurred and continue to occurr in Sudan. The video was more focused on the Darfur region of Sudan, however, I am sure it will apply to other regions of Sudan as well, in one respect or another. We saw the results of the massacre of African tribal groups by the Janjaweed (Sudanese government supported Arab rebels) and listened to some of the African tribal women speak of seeing their husbands and children be killed in front of them. In the majority of situations, these women were then raped by the same men that had killed their families. The killing of the men weakens any potential threat of successful uprising and rebellion by the Darfurians. The rapes, we have been told, has nothing to do with sex, but more with breaking the spirit of the people. The totality of which is considered an act of genocide under International Law.

In addition to these atrocities are the resulting issues of starvation as well where children are dying daily of malnutrition. This was good insight to some of the things we may be exposed to while on our mission. It was heart wrenching to see how much these people have suffered and continue to suffer. One of the last scenes of the video was the Sudanese Police, who we are to mentor, being established in the Darfur region at one of the large IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps which can have populations of 50,000 to 75,000 people. (It is important to understand that these police officers are basically the military who are controlled and run by the Sudanese government). As a show of force, the Sudanese police threw a live chicken in the air while a group of police officers dove in, arms extended, trying to grab onto any part of the chicken they could hold on to and literally tore it to pieces. They then shoved the freshly torn flesh into their mouths and banged on their chests as if they were animals claiming their territory. I can see that police training, investigation, and the semantics of "Community Policing" will not be the same in Sudan as it is at home.

At the end of the day...,I can't believe I just typed that (inside joke), my troop and I are all very excited to head on our mission and look forward to receiving our duties which may or not be community policing, police training, or human rights investigations, and may or may not be in the southern Sudan or Darfur region. In addition, we have been exposed to some of the atrocities and conflict we may have to deal with. We have a positive outlook on the mission and look forward to doing our part in ,and hopefully be a positive influence to, the country and the people of Sudan.

Training

The first week of pre-Sudan deployment training for UNMIS (United Nations Mission in Sudan) has been interesting. I have met the five other RCMP members that I am to be deployed with to Sudan. We are definitely a mixed bag of personalities, but everyone seems like great people. It has included policy and code of conduct lectures, mission pay, travel, medical issues, cultural lectures, as well as, what I like to call Christmas in May, otherwise known as kit issue. My colleagues and I also had the opportunity to meet with members of the Sudanese community who were able to provide a lot of insight into what to expect while on our mission. Well…kind of.

We have an Inspector, Corporal and four Constables. Our Inspector has 29 years of service and is currently working with National Security in “A” Division (Ottawa). He will be our Contingent Commander for the UNMIS. He is the man for the job. He is on the ball and I know will have all the answers to all of our questions during the mission. A quirky kind of guy, but he has definitely earned my respect for the rank that he holds. Whether or not he will bail me out when I get into “Gonzo’d” at the Canadian Embassy Christmas party remains to be seen. The other guys are all great as well. Two are from “E” Division, (that’s BC for all of you non-mounties), a 10 year Constable with the Integrated Gang Task Force in Surrey, BC and a 35 year Corporal from Sechelt Detachment in BC. This will be the final posting for the 35 year member from Sechelt as he will be retiring after the mission. We also have a 7 year general duty Constable from Gleichan Detachment in “K” Division (Alberta), a 10 year Constable with the Prime Minister's Protection Detail section in “A” Division (Ottawa), and me. A mixed bag of personalities for sure, but from first appearances, a solid group of individuals that I do not foresee having any problems getting along with.

Basically, our first week of training has covered a lot of policy matters both with the RCMP and United Nations. Code of Conduct was something that was drilled into us, however, we are all unsure exactly what “fraternization with the locals” actually means. Pay issues and travel matters were also covered in detail which was definitely useful. Pretty much boring stuff for anyone to read so I will keep it brief, but it was much appreciated and definitely important to have covered off. When it came to finding out exactly what our duties were going to be or exactly where we would be working in Sudan, no one had an answer. We were told that we will find that out when we get there. A little disconcerting. When it came to the dangers we might be facing, it was somewhat unclear, however, by the sounds of the way people are talking, we will be well protected and should have no issues. We just need to be smart and keep our heads down. The rest will be about focusing on our duties. I am confident that our backs are covered.

Kit issue was great. I think we all had fun. We received two large “barrack boxes” filled with all the bells and whistles and were fitted for our uniforms. We received a lot of nice trinkets including a camping stove and a mine probe kit. I know how to use the stove, but when is the mine probe kit training again? We are definitely well equipped for our mission. Probably a lot better than other police forces who are heading to, or have already been deployed to Sudan.

Our medical lecture was very relevant. The peacekeeping branch nurse went through our medical pack with us in detail explaining what everything was for and ensuring we had everything we would need on our mission. She also provided us with information on the creatures and critters we might come in contact with. From mosquitos to scorpions to poisonous snakes. I will definitely be checking my shoes twice before putting them on in the morning. We were also issued with our dog tags and taught how to use them. Apparently we are to break off one piece of the stamped metal identification and keep it with us and shove the other identical piece down our colleagues throat should anything drastic happen. If there is no throat then we are to shove it wherever we can. In an attempt to break the ice, and in traditional Gonzo fashion, I suggested that mine be shoved up my ass because I am more used to having the doctor put his fingers there versus in my throat. I think my troop thinks I am fucked up. Oh well. They will learn.

We were also given some cultural insight with respect to the Sudanese people. We had a Sudanese male named “Alew” who attended our cultural lecture and spoke. He was very passionate about the history of Sudan. Needless to say, it was a long history lecture. He also was able to provide a lot of insight into the country of Sudan and it‘s culture and people. With an area of 2,505,810 square kilometres and a population of approximately 40 million people, you can only imagine the diversity of culture and people that exists in this country. The primary language is Arabic, however there are other several dialects that exist. There are also over a hundred different languages spoken in Sudan in addition to the different dialects of Arabic. There are also several different tribal groups which have their own tribal traditions. The two main religion of Sudan is Islam and various sects of Christianity.

Apparently, your left hand has been historically, and in some cases is still used, for cleansing your bottom, and other than that, no one wants to have you touch them with it, hand them anything with it, and definitely not eat with it. This is especially important among Muslims. I am all about experiencing culture, but some things I just can not do. I‘ve done it with leaves, sticks, and smooth rocks on the California Coast while surfing, but I can not see myself using my hand.
“Assalamu Alaykum” (Peace be upon you”) we have been told is the common greeting.
We have also been told that “Inshala” (“God willing”), “bukra” (“tomorrow”), and “malesh” (“nevermind”), are good words to know which are commonly used to “save face”. Basically, a way of promising something without the commitment to follow up. This could prove ueful, or at the least I will understand why something has not been done despite the apparent agreement that it would be.

Our Inspector/Contingent Commander, made arrangements for us to meet with some members of the Sudanese community this weekend. We attended the home of “Mohammed” who graciously accepted us into his home and invited several other members of the Sudanese community to meet with us. We had open conversation where we all asked questions about what to expect and got to know each other a little. This was followed with a traditional Sudanese meal. It was amazing. My parents would have appreciated how the lamb was cooked to perfection. I know that I will have no problem consuming the traditional meals of the Sudanese. I did catch myself using my left hand though at times while breaking the “kisra”, the traditional Sudanese flat bread. I quickly corrected so as to not gross anyone out. I was also given the opportunity to corner “Mohammed” and learn how to eat with your right hand. No forks, knives, or spoons. It was interesting, but I think I have the hang of it. After eating, everyone formally introduced themselves and on a map, describing what part of Sudan they were from and a little bit about the history of Sudan as well as their individual history. We then had a question answer session. They were very interested in exactly what we would be doing in Sudan. Unfortunately, we were unable to give a definite answer. They were happy, however, that we were Canadian and that we were going to attempt to help their people in one way or another. A friendly, peaceful, compassionate people, with a love for their culture, country, and distant brothers and sisters currently living in Sudan.

It has been a good first week where I met the people I will be working with, was exposed to and lectured on some of the administrative issues, received my survival gear, and got some insight into the country, the people, and the culture. However, this last Saturday, near Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, Darfur rebel forces, also known as the JEM (Justice Equality Movement), conducted attacks against the Sudanese Army. This may cause some issues with respect to our expected deployment date of May 18th. We are all a little concerned as we have already been delayed for so long. Hopefully, they will still deploy us as planned as we are ready to go. We will likely find out tomorrow. Here’s hoping for the best.

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A thank you again to everyone who were able to provide me with clothing and other items to take with me to Sudan. I have it all packed and ready to go . It was much appreciated. I apologize for the short notice, but I was not given much time (check out the attached photos).

Cheers,

Gonzo.

Off the Rock

I am finally off the rock also known as Vancouver Island and my home of Victoria, British Columbia. After several delays, it appears that myself and colleagues that I have yet to meet, will finally be going on our peacekeeping mission to Sudan. After finding out that I was to be deployed out of Ottawa, Ontario immediately after my 2 weeks of training, my life in Victoria, British Columbia became a tornado. Along with trying to say my goodbyes to family members, friends, and spending quality time with them, I had also

decided to move prior to receiving my deployment date. To say the least, I am pretty sure I missed packing a few things while I sit here hammering into the electronic journal that is my BlackBerry in an old Texan-style pub next to my hotel. The Chimo. I figured the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) would have been first class all the way given we were being deployed for nine months. I was wrong. It's not bad, but it ain't The Hilton.

Ottawa is beautiful. A great place to get ready to head for Sudan. I am truly looking forward to going as an RCMP member to work under the UN umbrella as part of UNMIS (United Nations Mission in Sudan). I have no idea what to expect, but hopefully after the upcoming 2 weeks of training, I will have more of an idea.

Time to head to bed. Training tomorrow.

Cheers,

Gonzo

Parliament Buildings - Ottawa, ON