The following message is from PEI's own Captain Terry Hunter presently serving in the Sudan. Hello Robby: Well, we have finally finished our two weeks of training required of new UNMOs to the Sudan. Most of it consisted of briefings about the different departments in the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). Some was a refresher on mine awareness and GPS systems. The Canadian UNMOs are required to attend a five week course in Kingston, Ontario at the Peace Keeping Training Centre to prepare us for overseas deployment while the other nations get little to no training before they arrive in the Sudan. We did have some foreign students on my Kingston course which is normal. I met one of my friends from Brazil who was on course with me in Kingston and is now instructing new UNMOs in Khartoum. I have been advised that I will be deploying to the teamsite at Torit which is located in Sector 1 in the south not far from Uganda. I fly out by Dash 8 type aircraft from Khartoum to Juba and then by UN helicopter from Juba to Torit. According to the two other Canadian UNMOs in Torit, this is a nice location. However, it is the wet season down south so many of the roads will be impassable due to the mud.
The temperatures in Khartoum are still hovering around the 42 - 45 degrees C mark. We are now used to being in a sweat all day starting from about 0800 hrs when we walk from Canada House to UNMIS HQ. The air is constantly humid but we had some relief when it rained a couple of days ago in the morning. However, the coolness did not last and by noon, the temperatures were high again. Every morning we (about 5 Canadian UNMOS) walk to UNMIS HQ from Canada House where we are staying about 20 minutes away. There are several Sudanese on the street and we make it a special point to say Salaam to them which basically means Hello. They usually aren't the first to speak and by the looks on their faces, they are wary of soldiers in uniform even if they are wearing the blue beret of Peacekeepers. Once we offer our greeting, they break into tremendous smiles, wave back to us and offer a response of some sort. Several see the red maple leaf flags on our left shoulders and give us the thumbs up chanting Canada - Canada. One gentleman in traditional Sudanese robes replied to us in Arabic and, upon seeing our Canadian flags on our Arid Desert uniforms, proceeded to tell us that he attended the University of Ohio and had travelled across to Windsor, Ontario from Detroit. It just goes to show that you never know whom you will meet over here. Part of our morning journey takes us by an open goat market where goat herders in traditional robes sell goats to passing motorists and pedestrians. The herders have had great laughs in the past as they observed and cheered us as we run across the busy six lane highway to cross to the other side to get to UNMIS HQ. This six lane highway sometimes turns into eight lanes as driving regulations don't seem to exist over here and traffic lights are more of a suggestion rather than the rule. I now think of the many letters to the editor of the Guardian complaining about Islanders not using their signals to change lanes. In Khartoum, we often see vehicles coming down the wrong side of the divided six lane highway and doing U-turns with three vehicles abreast at the same time let alone not using any signals. Yet we have never seen a traffic accident. Maybe the Khartoum drivers are always prepared for something to happen. Over the past few mornings, I passed out a few decks of cards to the goat herders which were sent to me by students of Summerside Intermediate School via the Military Family Resource Centre. Since then, we are greeted with thumbs up from the herders, several Salaamsand can't get by without shaking many of their hands. For obviously reasons, I keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket. I never know where their hands have been on a goat. I had mentioned in a previous email to you about the friendliness of the Sudanese people towards the Canadian Peacekeepers. It is interesting to view the different cultures here and, while some Sudanese are dressed in traditional robes, others are dressed in North American style business attire. Even with the youth it is the same. Some wear the traditional dress while some could walk down a street in Canada and not get a second glance as they would be wearing the same style jeans and t-shirts. Khartoum is a nice city which is steeped in history. We are literally walking in the footsteps of General Gordon and Lord Kitchener. However, it is disheartening to see much garbage strewn around on the ground. I'm assuming this is something that has been done for thousands of years long before Canada became a nation. Many areas are beautiful and clean while others are heaped in garbage. While many of the Sudanese in Khartoum are employed by UNMIS HQ or have their own business such as some of the fine restaurants we have eaten in, poverty is still seen on the streets. There have been several occasions where street urchins who are about age three to four, under the watchful eye of their mother, have come begging and asking us for money, money. The mother, wearing a traditional robe and face veil, has also approached us holding a baby asking us for money also. We don't give them any money as this is against UN policy but I have handed out some candy to the kids. This does not deter them and the children tag right along even grasping your arms and trying to reach into your pockets. They are adamant that they will get money from us. This brought back memories of stories my father, Tom Hunter, told me of the orphans he encountered while serving with the 2nd Battalion (Glasgow), Highland Light Infantry in Greece in 1945 with who would be begging with their tin cans for food off him and his fellow soldiers during meal times. Yesterday, while I was on the balcony of our residence where we stay known as (Canada House), I noticed a small impoverished looking barefoot Sudanese boy about the age of four walking in the alley next to us. I called to him and, as he looked up at me, I threw down a plastic Dollarama type beach shovel to him (again, courtesy from Summerside Intermediate School). He walked over to the shovel all smiles, picked it up, waved to me and said Shoukran (Thankyou), Canada. He obviously had spotted the small red and white Canadian flag on the left shoulder of my uniform. I watched him walk down the dusty dirt street picking up shovels full of dirt and throwing it over his shoulder heading, I assumed, to his home. I have enclosed a couple of pictures for your viewing including a couple of the goat market. Hope to talk to you soon.
Terry
The Goat Market... Note the billboard advertising new cars. This shows the vast cultural contrast in some of our poorer nations. Captain Hunter is doing what countless other Canadian peacekeepers have done. He is meeting and sharing things with the Kids. As in all wars including his father's war. Soldiers have always been drawn to the kids. Total innocents in war zones. Keep up the great work Terry and we look forward to hearing more over your tour of Duty. God Bless
Please remember our troops wherever they may be serving on the Globe.
Nil Sine labore
Robby
