Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

I have been keeping busy here in Torit and I am looking forward to a Christmas break. As part of our mandate my goal has been to conduct as many patrols as possible to the 8 counties in our area of responsibility. Some of these places require that we stay for up to five days. I was recently able to send a team to Magwi County. I am planning on a 5 to 7 day patrol in January near the end of my mission. As the Team Site Leader, I do not get to go on patrols and have to ask for permission. My goal is to get on this 7 day patrol before I go home.

Currently we are on evacuation alert here in the south of Sudan. The ICC is set to issue a warrant for the arrest of President BASHIR in early to mid January which will create tension all over Sudan. Among regular duties, we are preparing for a potential evacuation in early to mid January. In addition, Southern Sudan, Ugandan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo military are engaging in a joint military offensive against the LRA. Joseph KONY has continued to stall the signing of a peace agreement and they have had enough of him, although they do say that the door is still open for KONY to come to the table and negotiate. Talk about bad timing. Also, the Government of Southern Sudan has advised it's the citizens to fight back if the rebels carry out revenge attacks in Equatoria region. So much for the Disarmament of Civilians program. What this means for us here in Torit is that we will be limiting any patrols near Uganda until further notice and monitor any reports of LRA movement on the Southern Sudan side of the border.

The locals are doing alot of burning right now clearing the land. About 2 weeks ago during burning in a place in our AOR called Ikotos, a UXO exploded killing one boy and injuring a pregnant woman. This area was not known to be a UXO zone. There are likely several more like this waiting to be found. This area was hit pretty hard during the war.

We recently had a stabbing incident in a small village called Imoruk about 20 kilometers away. The suspect was caught trying to leave Torit in his vehicle. The stabbed victim was left by the roadside. This is one of those examples where it is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. The Dutch and Canadian UNMOS and I decided to go and pick up the injured to bring him to the hospital as it appeared that neither the local police nor local hospital emergency staff were going to do anything. We made the mistake of asking our BANBAT Force Protection to assist us with their ambulance. Long story short the word got out and we were ordered not to take any action. My next stop was the hospital. I advised the ambulance driver there that there was a stabbed victim on the side of the road in Imoruk. His first excuse was that it was a Sunday. I could smell the odour of liquor emanating from him. His next excuse was that the vehicle was not driveable. This was total bullshit as well. End result I left fuming and I may have held back from telling him to fuck off, but by the time I was done arguing with him. I didn't have to say it.

We are currently dealing with a 2 year old boy that is being detained in an adult prison. No it is not a typo. It is a 2 year old boy. Here when you are a woman and are put in prison, you take your young children with you. In this case the woman escaped leaving her child behind. I have my UN Corrections officer working on a solution and now have Human Rights on board as well to try and assist in dealing with this matter. The prison guards are usually drunk and people escape all of the time. There reason for keeping the 2 year old boy in prison is so that the mother comes back and turns herself in.

On December 19th at about 0600 hours I was awoken out of bed. The SSPS were at the main gate requesting UNPOL assistance to take photos of a murder crime scene. They don't have any cameras. I got my ass out of bed and went to the scene with them. It was mayhem. Literally hundreds of people on the property where the murder took place trampling all over the crime scene. People were yelling and crying. The body which had been discovered inside one of the tukuls (mud huts) where the victim lived had been dragged outside to the middle of the property and was surrounded by people. The female victim had been shot. Likely by an AK47. A blood trail and drag marks made a trail to where the body was. What a mess I did my best to take the necessary photos of the body, entry and exit wounds, and the rest of the crime scene, but it was near impossible to do a proper job. I advised the SSPS that they need to protect the crime scene to do a proper investigation and not lose any potential evidence. They just shrugged their shoulders. After I snapped a few quick photos, the body was quickly thrown into the back of a truck and taken away.

So this has been Torit. It is a good place and I am enjoying it, but the closer I get to my end of mission date the longer the days seem to take. I am heading to Amsterdam to spend Christmas and New Year. Hoping to maybe head somewhere warm as well. This will be my last trip out before coming home unless they do not let me get back into Sudan because shit has hit the fan.

Have a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year,

Rory

(Photos Top to Bottom: 1) Magwi police office, 2) Magwi exhibit room, 3) Magwi cell, 4) UNPOL Tesfaye DEFEGA (Ethiopia) with the Chief of Police in Magwi at the back of the Magwi cell...notice the large hole!, 5) UNPOL Fatai AMAKOEJA (Nigeria) teaching the Basic Police Course), 6)Local woman and child. The orange colouring in the childs hair is indicative of malnutrition, 7) Torit Bridge. Up front and to the right is a minefield/uxo zone, 8) Local children. Right behind them is UXO/Minefield territory. Apparently there is a painted rock indicating this somewhere, but I haven't found it yet, 9) After lecturing the JIU (Joint Integrated Unit - SAF/SPLA), 10) A video of Latuko tribal people performing dance the day President Salva Kiir arrived in Torit.