Reunion

Well I have to say that I really enjoyed my break. It was somewhat short, but worth it. I first met with my contingent in Juba for a little reunion. It was the first time our whole group had been together since being deployed. We exchanged war stories over beers and gave each other the gears. We then had our medal parade which was perfect. Short and sweet without alot of press. After some post reunion/medal parade partying, myself, three members from my contigent and a retired member that is now working for UN Security headed to Egypt.
Our first destinations was Sharm El Sheikh. It was great. A resort town in the middle of nowhere right on the Red Sea. The water was clear and warm, the beach and scenery was great, the nightlife was rocking. Did I mention that the scenery was great? From there we headed to Cairo. Cairo was not as relaxing, but I did get to see the pyramids which was as amazing as I had imagined it would be when I was a kid.

After returning to Sudan I had a couple of days of leave left so I spent them in Juba. I was able to grease a few wheels to change my transfer. Nothing in writing yet, but it will happen soon. I had orginally been told I would be re-deployed to Torit or Yei, however, during the Acting Deputy Police Commissioners rampage on the South Sector I ended up with Maridi. I have no desire to work in Maridi as it is in the same area as Yambio with the same issues. My other reason is that I had to kick a Kenyan out of Yambio for having sex with a local prostitute. It's another long story to be told over beers. He should have been repatriated, but our previous Sector Commander made the decision to only transfer him...to Maridi.

I am not sure where I will end up, but I have told the Sector Commander that I want to experience an area different from Yambio. It is kind of exciting waiting for what might come and I am really looking forward to the change. Now I am back in Yambio to pack my things. I will leave Wednesday to Maridi and await my new posting.

I am going to miss Yambio. It has been a great place to work and an amazing experience. I have alot of friends here that I will miss as well. I will definitely miss my running partner sam. One last run with Sam on Wednesday morning and then it's time to hang up my shoes for a while.

Cheers,

Rory

(Photos from top to bottom: 1) Our contingents first meeting in Juba. From left to right - Me, Charles OBENG, Wayne HANNIMAN, Wayne PLIMMER (Mr. Touchy Feely as per usual), Scott BURGE, and the Shisha Man of Juba - Jaskaran PUREWAL, 2) Our UN Medal, 3) UN Medal Ceremony, 4) 3 drunk Mounties at a post medal party, 5) The scenery at Sharm El Sheikh, 6) A close-up of the scenery at Sharm El Sheikh, 7) The Pyramids, 8) Sam wearing his new pair of shoes after one of our last runs together, 9) My dirty stinky running shoes)

Goodbye Yambio

Well folks, it has been quite interesting over the last several days. I left last Friday for a mandatory meeting in Juba with all Team Site Leaders, Sector Commanders, and the Deputy Police Commissioner. The weather was pretty bad last Friday and it was a rough ride in the chopper. We ended up having to do an emergency landing in quite literally the middle of nowhere.

We landed and the helicopter was immediately surrounded. Some people wearing clothes, some completely naked, and there were also several nomad cattle hearders in traditional dress (I had just broken my camera and was hoping to pick up a new one in Juba...crap). A few people could speak English and we were able to communicate with them. We had landed in a place called Ban Agok.

There were a few small tukuls in Ban Agok and a small market where we could buy some biscuits and Fanta. There was a County Commissioner stationed there so we went to visit him to determine the security situation of the area...we were going to have to sleep in the chopper. The County Commissioner advised us that there was nothing to worry about.

I have to say that sleeping in a helicopter with 3 Bangladesh Battalion officers and 4 Russian pilots was a little tight. And no, the pilots were not female. The metal seats were a little hard and I don't think any of us got alot of sleep. The next morning we were able to take off and headed to Bor to refuel and then continued to Juba.

My meeting was at 0900 and I waltz in at 0930 unshaven, wrinkled, and tired. By the time I got there, everyone already knew the story of my flight delay. The meeting was a joke. The mission is suffering a lot of changes due to the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner. It would take me a long time to explain, but basically it has to do with internal politics and egos and several people are unhappy right now.

I had been thinking of a move half way through my mission to see and try something new and I took the opportunity in Juba to speak with my Sector Commander. They told me that they were in the middle of shuffling several people around due to shortages in manpower and he offered me Juba. I declined immediately. Juba is big, has all the food and amenities you need, but it is not as clean and quiet like other smaller team sites. He then offered me Yei or Torit. I said yes.

The Deputy Police Commissioner approached me the next day and told me I had to pick 2 other UNPOL officers to have redeployed immediately. I arrived back in Yambio on Monday and found that I had been transfered to Maridi to take over as Team Site Leader there. So much for trying something new. I then had to select 2 more people to leave. That was a little hard to do because everyone wants to stay in paradise. I chose two Ethiopians based on what made the most sense. They are not too happy with me. In addition, I was told to appoint a new Team Site Leader. This was an easy choice as we recently received two new Australian UNPOLS who were a godsend for me. I was then ordered to appoint a black African national no matter the qualifications. I feel like I should have stayed here now, but hopefully things will work out the right way in the end.

So Maridi it is. I head back to Juba this Friday for our contingents medal parade and then we head to Egypt for some time off . When I get back to Yambio, I pack my things and head to Maridi. It will be hard to leave Yambio for several reasons, but I am looking forward to the change. I will definitely miss my running partner Sam. Now it is time for a week of rest and relaxation.

Cheers,

Rory











(Photos from top to bottom: 1) Training Officers Hugo MONTALVO (El Salvador) and Sergey Russia, 2) Patrol Team lining up to in preparation for Long Range Patrol, 3) My motorcycle (Wayne and I bought it together. The only thing good about going to Maridi is that I will be able to have it transported there), 4) Southern India Onam Festival feast, 5) Virender JAIN (India) and I during transfer party, 6) My good friend Abhinesh PRASAD and I getting drunk at the party, 7) Just a big fucking moth.)

Third World Behaviour for a Third World Country

I had a meeting last week with the State

Commissioner of the SSPS and the soon to be appointed County Commissioner. Things did not go so well. What had sparked the meeting was that he demanded that some of the UNPOL officers stop conducting their duties telling them they he did not want them asking questions about detention lists and ongoing investigations anymore. He accused them of being spies as well.

I tried my best to negotiate with him to no avail. The State Commissioner basically told me that he has evidence that the UN is providing information to the media in Khartoum. He also stated that the UN has no right to be looking at ongoing cases, reports, or detention lists. In fact it is part of our mandate to do this as part of our duties. I explained this to him and he stated simply that if we continued this, that we would not be allowed near the Yambio County Headquarters or any Police Posts and that we might as well just go home.

There are definitely changes that are happening here that can not just be mere coincidence. Since my arrival, all of the high ranking SSPS officers that we had good relationships have been transferred and replaced with strictly arabic speaking Muslims. While this has been happening over the course of several months, the State Commissioner especially, has been consistently making it difficult for us to do our job.

At this time, our UNPOLS show up for their duties, shake a few hands, provide a simple lecture and then leave so as to not create any further resistance until the matter is resolved. Yesterday I showed up to have some routine forms filled out. The State Commissioner’s armed guards drove by and saw me there so they drove up, jumped out, and started asking me what I was doing there. I told them and they left.

To help resolve this problem we have a legal advisor coming to Yambio and I have arranged a meeting with the Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement and the SSPS State Commissioner to attempt to resolve this problem. Bottom line there is a clearly stated agreement with the UN and we have a mandate to fulfill. It should be interesting. The SSPS State Commissioner and I still have a good relationship which I hope to continue, we just have very different views on what the UN should be doing here in Southern Sudan.

The LRA are around, but quiet. The belief is that they are organizing themselves and that there will be another attack in the future. Right now in Nabia Pai (21 miles from Yambio) there are approximately 1000 refugees from the Congo camped out there. Many of them are family of the several children that were abducted from a school in Nduro on the Congo side of the border after the attack on Sakure.

We are still relatively safe in Yambio. The last time they attacked the UNMIS team site was in 2006 and they lost. Two Bangladesh Battalion soldiers (our force protection) received minor injuries. We are pretty well protected and the likelihood of them coming into Yambio is minimal.

Peace from Yambio,

Rory

(Photos from top to bottom: 1) To my left former SSPS County Commisioner, Lt/Col. Light ELINAMA, and to his left the newly appointed SSPS County Commissioner, Cpt. Ismael MAHDI, 2) Cell at the Masia Police Post, 3) Yambio Town roundabout, 4) On patrol with Banbat (Bangladesh Battalion)