Capt Hunter enroute to his outpost near the Ugandan border, shares his thoughts and travels with us.
19 August 2008
Team Site Torit, UNMIS
The Sudan
Greetings Robby:
I have arrived at my team site located at Torit in the south of Sudan which is close to the Ugandan border. My day started about 0430 hrs on the 18 August when I awoke early to prepare for my flight to first Juba and then to Torit. Because of my early departure, I had said my farewells to my fellow Canadian UNMOs at Canada House who are awaiting their teamsite allocations the night previously. I had to check in by 0600hrs for a 0800hrs flight by UN Jet.
The Canadian Officer, who looks after Canada House and was on my pre-deployment course with me in Kingston, drove me to the small UN airport in Khartoum about 0530 hrs in the morning. There was little traffic on the usually busy six lane divided highway that I wrote previously about. My friend stopped at a red light and, like most Sudanese drivers that time in the morning, proceeded through as there was no traffic approaching from the other direction. We had progressed a little further and came around a traffic circle that is nicknamed the circle of death by the Canadians because of the many vehicles trying to enter and exit at the same time. We noticed a Sudanese police officer on a small motor scooter in front of us flagging us over. The police officer approached our Canadian vehicle and started speaking to us in Arabic. Through his gestures, we surmised that he observed us proceeding through the red light (like the other vehicles). He then demanded we pay a fine of 100 Sudanese pounds (about $50 US). We had been warned not to pay police money directly as felt the money may go into the officer's pocket. We called UN security to let them know that we had been stopped for a traffic violation. The UN security duty officer directed us not to pay any money to him (which we weren't going to do anyway) and to keep them informed if the situation escalated. The police officer then dropped the price to 50 pounds and still we refused to pay. We told the officer that I had to be dropped off at the airport and that the driver would sort out the situation with him after he dropped me off. After much deliberation, the officer asked for $10 US but we still would not pay him. He shook his head, got on his scooter and drove away. I was getting concerned that I might miss my flight but was able to be dropped off without further incident.
My flight was called around 0800 hrs for boarding. The passengers were loaded into a small US bus and driven around the perimeter of the Khartoum airfield towards a waiting Boeing MD-80 Jet with UN markings. On the way to the aircraft, we passed Sudan Armed Forces machine gun bunkers and Anti-Aircraft guns ready to defend the airfield against an attack. Once off the bus, they checked my and another UN civilian passenger's ID and directed us to another bus which took us to another UN marked MD-80 aircraft. We got off the bus and were directed to in a UN marked pickup truck to wait a while longer. I was getting concerned about which aircraft were supposed to fly on as there was a bit of a language barrier with the Sudanese UN airport workers. Finally we were able to board the aircraft but had to wait an hour longer for a couple of the flight attendants to show up. The Khartoum sun was rising and there was no air conditioning on in the jet. The temperature inside the jet had risen by many degrees and no water was handed out to us. The two flight attendants finally arrived and we were able to depart by around 1000 hrs.
The two hour flight from Khartoum to Juba took us over the sandy desert and into the lush green lands of south Sudan. Luckily, I had brought a couple of granola bars with me as we were not fed on the flight. More mountains began to appear as we flew south and we started our approach into Juba. From the air, I could see many villages and small huts dotting the landscape. We touched down at the small Juba airfield and I was directed to pick up my own luggage from cargo section of the MD-80. While one local UN employee would tell us to board another small UN bus, another worker would tell us to get our luggage while yet another would tell us to board the bus and our luggage would follow through the UN Movement Control department. Direction became very confusing because of the strong accents of the local UN employees but, by pointing out the conflicting directions to each employee and basically saying but he said to do this, we were able to conclude that we were to pick up our own luggage and carry it to the bus. After all the years of controlled exits/boardings of aircraft that one experiences in civilian life, it was a bit extraordinary to see passengers walking under the wings, the belly and the engines of the aircraft carrying their own luggage to wherever we were directed to go.
We were driven further down the runway to a waiting Russian MI-8 Hip helicopter with UN markings which would take us to Torit. We got off one bus and to get on another to wait while the aircrew loaded our luggage. Once signaled to board (a point and a grunt from the local UN Security police), the passengers filed on and sat with our backs against the walls and facing each other with our luggage between us secured under a cargo net. A young Russian flight engineer gave us a memorized standard emergency briefing in broken English similar to what you would receive in a commercial airline. The passengers were handed out ear defenders to lesson the noise during the flight. While the aircrew prepared for the flight, the port hole shaped windows in the helicopter were closed and the temperature soon rose making breathing difficult inside.
Soon the rotors were turning and the entire helicopter began shaking as we lifted off for our 40 minute flight to Torit. We flew at height of about 1000 ft. During the flight, we were able to open two port hole windows which let in the cool air. Flying in the MI-8 Hip reminded me of flying in a Sea King helicopter as there were both over 40 years old (and shook just as bad). I could not help wondering how many former Soviet and Warsaw Pact soldiers had flow in this transport helicopter during the days of the Cold War and possibly the Russian war in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Now here was this old veteran now painted white with UN markings and transporting UN personnel on their mission of peace in Africa. What a difference a few years make.
I was able to spot many tukul native huts from the air as we flew over the green grassland spotted with low trees. I could see the UN camp with its distinctive white vehicles and small ATCO style trailers. Major Troy Kelly and Captain Dean Gray, both posted to Ottawa as I am, met me at the helipad. Troy and I had met while undergoing pre-deployment training earlier in the Spring and had become friends. After my luggage was loaded, Troy and I drove into the village of Torit to drop one of the National Monitors of the Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army (who work with the UN in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement). One thing I noticed was how the red earth of Torit is similar to that of PEI.
Here is where reality of my mission set in. The village looked like something out of a National Geographic special on TV. There were many people about on the small streets as this was a holiday in the south celebrating National Heroes Day which commemorated the start of the rebellion against the Sudanese Government in the North in 1956. Many of the tukul huts were to be seen and many a goat and chicken wandered across the road in front of us. In the village, there is also a small school and several of the children were in their version of a school uniform. Because of the rains, there were many washouts in the streets which made driving tricky as children, like home, tend to run out on the road without first checking for traffic.
Troy and I dropped the National Monitor off at a nearby SPLA barracks and then drove back to the village market. The market consisted of several stalls which sold a variety of vegetables, bread and meat. While Troy and I purchased some onions and bread, we decidedly passed on the meat (probably goat) which had been out in the sun all day and was covered with flys.
Because it is the rainy season in the South, there are many large puddles in the middle of the market left over for days from the frequent downpours. Troy and I watched as a young child about the age of four, walk through a stagnant green puddle which was up to her waist. We couldn't help wondering how many malaria laden mosquitoes may have laid their eggs in it.
While Troy was dressed down in his issued brown t-shirt and Canadian Arid desert camouflage pants and desert boots, I, being just off the aircraft, was fully dressed in my Canadian Arid Combat Shirt, pants, desert boots and blue UN beret looking very much the new guy. Many children crowded around to see the brand new Khwaja. This is a term (and not racist) term which literally means white man. While video recording some of the market with my camcorder, many of the children posed for me in front of the camera and then ran around to see the screen. I replayed the digital recording for them and it was probably the first for many, if not all, to see themselves on a screen. Troy remarked that I'm literally going to be swarmed by the people the first time I strike up my bagpipes in the market.
Again, the poverty was evident here but the children make the best of it by playing with simple things such as rolling a bicycle tire down the street with a stick. Computers and video games would not even be in the realm of their Christmas wish list.
There are about 20 UNMOs from various nations here in Team Site Torit. I will be assigned a specific responsibility within camp and also be responsible for patrolling with another vehicle in the area to assist the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. While the Sudanese Armed Forces were present in the North, the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army is more prevalent in the South. The site of many soldiers armed with AK-47 Assault Rifles on the roads is getting more common. Our protection is provided by a UN Bangladesh Battalion who are allowed to carry arms to assist if we are attacked. While the Bangladesh carry weapons, the UNMOs only protection is the white UN vehicles and their Blue Berets. So far the Peace Agreement is holding in our area and we are out showing the UN presence to the locals. The Sudanese people of Torit are friendly and, as usual, the children are out waving to us as we drive by. Handshakes are offered by the villagers and Canada is often heard when I walk by them as they spot the red and white flag on the left sleeve of my uniform.
That's it for now. I'll continue to send updates on what is happening in Team Site Torit.
Cheers!
Capt Terry Hunter
Team Site Torit
Sudan.
This child playing in the slimey waters has no toys perhaps Islanders can come up with an idea to ship some items to Capt Hunter for the children.
Once again I thank Terry for his letter and insightful photos to share with all Canadians. The mission that he is on is PEACEKEEPING, Canada is well reknowned for being a well respected leader in this field of military operations.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
