The good the bad and the ugly ...wait ....good?

Three things in South Sudan

 

Relaxed as I lay in bed or sit on the rooftop I'm often confused by the calmness of the surroundings. It's in part due to the easy going nature of my colleagues juxtaposed against the realities of this war-torn country. The odd gunshot in the distance is a punctuating reminder of the reality against this backdrop of relative peace and harmony.

Joanne Lui, MSF International President, was in the project this week and again with credit to our organization receives no special treatment whatsoever. The same living arrangements and security context greeted her on arrival as they did me on mine. One becomes accustomed to the 9pm curfew and being able to only walk on the one street (until 7pm)  - and the heavy metal sheets over the windows - and of course the constant threat to one's safety.


Surprisingly to me, she fit in with the team very well indeed. Her warm and jovial side is disarming particularly when compared to the persona often seen on the news and in various video clips. That she is fearless when criticizing heads of state and international organizations is well know. That she is unapologetic in voicing our organization's shared sense of righteous indignation -- equally so. Less known is her easy going nature and her quick delightful sense of humor. More pointedly - Joanne met with the President of South Sudan and said very clearly that abductions of MSF staff in January were unacceptable and can not happen again!!! She was assured that it would be the last time.In fact - he gave his word.


She toured some of the war-torn regions seeing for herself the sharp difference between what is said to be the case by government sponsored media.... and what is actually the case. There are no foreign journalists here any longer and most of those in the local media who have come out against the government have been killed or silenced in some other way. There are a few foreign journalists who have snuck into the country including the one killed yesterday in fighting in the southwest. Wrong place - wrong time. That's the thing you see, most in the world are unaware that the fighting continues unabated given that the underlying tensions remain unchanged. Even less understood, is the fractious nature of the conflict where it is not clear which group is affiliated with which side.... if in fact there are sides.


That is the second point here. I was fortunate to attend two briefing sessions. The first, describing the northeast was 4 hours long whereas the second attempted to explain some of the context surrounding the fighting in southwest. This was an additional 3 hours. Through this I learned about the incredibly disorganized and fractured the situation is. There are more tribes and interests and disputes than I could ever have imagined. The hours spent in no way even scratched the surface of all the varying issues.


The third and final point was the relationship between danger and aid delivery. The people don't give a fuck about the well-being of the aid workers. Locals, fighters onlookers etc.,.. it is simply a matter of life and death for those impacted by the years and years of fighting leading to a complete desensitization of the intrinsic value of human life. In a state of shock I heard of one of our teams in the southwest being taken on Thursday. In my mind I went over what he confrontation must have been like. As the news was delivered to me by the Head of Mission - I could see the strain on her face.. it was a moment where all slows down and realities come like waves onto a beach in a winter storm. One grim reality followed moments later by another. In the end all folks were recovered unharmed and other than the Land Cruiser being stolen... and some communications ..... equipment life goes on. But how to deliver aid to the people who need it when there is not reasonable hope for safety of those providing the aid? It's a tricky and I think depressing reality that will be with the people of South Sudan for a very long time. While you can't see it...I'm shaking my head...sadly and with regret for the state of this wretched part of our world.









Thanks for reading .....Layno!!

Just Juba

A country no better off .....

 

A friend joked recently that an updated situation report from South Sudan was really just the same one from 20 years ago with only the date changed. It's true - little has changed in the world's newest country that has known only war and conflict since inception and many decades before that. I chucked when I checked the local news source for opinion pieces and found none.  Journalists brave or stupid enough to present an opinion are increasingly rare in this part of the world as the collapse of the both the economy and government structures continue.



Almost no one relies on or uses the government rate for exchange even though it's illegal to do otherwise. The current official rate is 6.68 to 1 USD but even the local supermarket offers 150. Above pictured is $75 converted to South Sudanese pounds. Bricks of currency are required for a visit to get a bit of food leaving a disconcertingly conspicuous bulge in your pocket as you move about. This is particularly concerning as the government workers including soldiers have not been paid in 4 months and a robbery is certainly tempting given the tantalizing wad of cash.

My work here is very interesting - very intense  - and very challenging. I readily admit to finding the demands of the job overwhelming as I do the context and environment I work within. Interpersonal relationships are strained and somehow odd - as people are thrust together to live and work together in compounds hopefully safe from the world outside the gates..  We all know that
's not the case, as compounds are regularly broken into and everyone robbed. The desperation turns to violence at time resulting in beatings and rape of the women but more often than not it's the money and easily sellable items that they want. The windows have heavy steel shutters capable of keeping small munitions if fired on. Heavy steel gates block the entry of both the work and living areas. I do my best to keep complaints to myself - as it does no good. Morale is a delicate flower in a mud field with tanks approaching inadvertently but certainly about crush and pulverize the dainty sprout



Away from the capital, things are much more challenging for my colleagues. The fighting continues in pockets throughout the country disconnected from any kind of national or collective strategy. It's about power - and the ability to get from the situation. Is Humanitarian Aid fueling the conflict 
is the question raised in my mind and as I read Simon Little's article on the same I felt helpless and futile as the reality washes over me. The poor pay the ultimate price of the few who are opportunistic and kleptocracy n their behavior. Is it despicable? Yes ...Is it unconscionable? Yes... but is it unexpected in a situation where billions (1.7 billion in 2017) pour into the country to alleviate suffering. How can the world do otherwise. It's a loophole being exploited by the powerful...and the solution appears impossible.




 One could complain about the venomous snakes and scorpions but it does no good to do so. They are as prevalent as they are deadly. Just stay out of the way of the green or black Mambas, or 2 meter cobras by avoiding carefree skipping through long grassy areas. Now the weather - well -  that indeed is really something else. At times, hot beyond belief (50 is not uncommon)  and when it rains with thunder and lightening it is as if the universe has finally had enough of the stupidity of those fighting and seeks to punish in the most draconian manner. Alongside is the street where I work after 5 minutes of rain...

Below are pictures sent to me from the Supply Manager in Pibor 400kms to the north. "An Antonov (2.5Ton) is too heavy and the wheels too thin to land this morning" he explained... but it should be fine for a 1 ton caravan. Looking at the pictures I knew that the pilots were going to be pissed as they usually are. And understandably so. It's not a runway really  - it's a mud field like the surrounding area without too many rocks on it... just that. The supply team often has to do manual labor to get ready to take a plane given the incessant rain and the fact that we have to land here 2x a week minimum. On occasion we employ helicopters but that takes time...and lots of money. Lots and lots of money actually so to be avoided if at all possible. The pilots put their lives on the line with every rotation but of course we sent the plane. What else can you do?

I have great hopes for South Sudan but see no real progress or solutions. As I become more and more familiar with the context, real peace seems less and less likely. I read today of the violence in Charlottesville and at the same time the deaths of many innocents in Kenya over the past days. Naked self interest and intolerance continue to be the casualty of our modern capitalist social democracy.

Thanks for reading ....... Layno!!!

Himilayas: The guardians of the exotic east...

Getting High in Nepal ... a sneak peek at the peak!!!!

 

It's only about 200 kms from Kathmandu to Pokhara but it can take a very long time to get there. And you know it'll be a bumpy bus ride when only the front half of the bus seats are occupied.... because those in the rear will certainly hit their heads on the bus ceiling along the way. But 12 hours later there you are in the shadow of the mighty Annapurna range. Unfortunately, at this of year the peaks are  shrouded equally in both clouds and mystery. I would be lucky to catch a peak of these 8000+ meter giants.




Even though clouds and more clouds were the expectation, I was undeterred and at 3am took my bright blue rented scooter and left the comfort of my bed to buzz up to a place in the mountains I had scouted previously. I thought it should be a pretty good view if the weather favored my bold maneuver. As night became day I was disappointed to see the main peaks shrouded in a view obscuring bank of thick white clouds. As they say though - fortune favors the brave - and as the sun rose, and not unlike a biblical prophecy, the clouds parted and the sun majestically lit the fishtail, Annapurna's 1 2 and 3 and the lesser peaks well into the distance. I stayed for about 3 hours watching the many valleys and crevices revealed as the light slowly moved across the most amazing mountain range the world has ever seen. It is truly one of the great sites of the world. Next - I intend to climb at least to ABC (Annapurna Base camp). Hopefully !!




Over the following days I explored a number of treks in the local hills and made use of the bright blue scooter exploring mountain passes and river valleys. Poor little scooter was a bit overwhelmed by a rider that does everything at full throttle. :)

On one particularly beautiful day I was fortunate to meet Vladka from The Czech Republic. Together we hiked to the World Peace Pagoda built by Japanese Buddhists. It's a beautiful monument to what often to me seems more like the world's faint hope for a lasting peace throughout. Vladka is as peaceful, warm, and beautiful a soul as I have ever met with a smile that melts even the coolest mountain breeze. A wonderful day with beauty and the beast... and yeah... shaved my head in Nepal. Ha!!! Why not? When in Rome...When in Nepal.....





As mentioned previously its a wonderful moment when you meet and connect with the people.  I chatted with these girls at the base of the mountain about life in Nepal. They spoke English well and were friendly and open to chatting. The fellow on the left, however, spoke no English whatsoever and when I found him high on a mountain pass nursing a beer.... well I just had to join in. We gestured for some time together consuming an alarming number of beers until we were quite drunk and happy. See - beer can solve almost any cultural difference. A  natural translator that almost ended me as I stumbled and giggled my way down the mountain late in the day. 😉 Geez

 
Thanks for reading...Layno!!!