Finally arrived in Juba - internet too slow for photos
It has been days since I’ve written and so much has happened on so many levels. There is palace intrigue, tales of past sins come to haunt, and so much more. I am an outsider looking in and have often depend on my own observations and the interpretations of my translators – and my interpretations of my the interpretations of the translators. I am a white man from the West making observations – fighting with my own prejudices and western point of view to understand what is going on here. But in some cases, human nature is human naturen and power is power. Abuse of power and corruption are universal concepts, but the cultural context gives it a lvastly different flavor. I am in the midst of the seats of power – closer than I have ever been in America and in this fledgling state state of nation building it is nothing short of mind-blowing for me. Some of the things I will not be able to write in this blog, but I will share things – often in generalities and I will leave names out. I ask you to re-read the section that I quoted from Emma’s War to give some framework to complexitiesof the situation. The old rivalies between tribes, clans, and religions. They color every step of the process of here.
I am sitting on the “porch” of the home of the chief of police for South Sudan. I am minutes from the Nile and frogs jump around here, eating grasshoppers and sucking in flies with their tongues. The weather is warm though nothing like a NYC summer day. It is cloudy and there is a breeze – though the humidity is much higher here than in Yei. I hope to be able to find an internet connection to be able to cut and paste this onto the blog – and if you are reading this, then I have been successful.
But let’s go back to Yei where the bull was slaughtered and Aduei and I were supposed to have left on Monday for Juba. There is much going on in Juba – it is the capital city and the LRA (the Lord’s Resistance Army –the rebels from Uganda) are meeting with the Ugandan gov’t to try to work out a peace agreement. The LRA is looking for a compromise and the gov’t is looking for a surrender. The meetings are done in Juba and have moved to a secret location in the bush – some say to the Congo. But back to Yei – we did not leave until Wedsnesday due to problems that came up.
Every society has its rules around sex and relationships. I guess, we can call this a moral system. But no society has been able to reign in the sexual drive of its citizens and the Dinka are no exception. There were issues with Aduie’s father (let’s call him father for now). The first problem was with his second wife who did not feel she was being treated fairly and she did not show up to the big bull slaughtering party. Aduei, her sister, Agot and the father spent the day at the second wife’s home working out issues with her family. It involved possession of the kids and cows. It seems that this was worked out…..but Wisteria Lane and Peyton Place reared their heads later that evening when the uncle of Father’s child in Australia came to pay a visit. You see, Father had a child with a woman before he was married, when he was a teenager. He was poor then and did not have any cows. He did not care for the women, so he just left her and her son. Her son is now 42 years old and a pastor in Australia and want to be legitimate and have father’s name. The uncle refuses to leave until six cows are paid – If they are not paid then the boy will take the name of the mother’s family – and Dinka men are proud of the number of boys that they have. Aduei and I contributed some money and some arrangement was made to collect the cows from the area in which they are kept. The uncle had gone there before and the keeper of the cows refused to give them up. The uncle stayed a few nights, some more conversations took place and he seemed to be satisfied. For a non-sexual society, there are an awful lot of illegitimate kids running around. Fortunatley, si cows can cure that
In the meantime, I was stranded in Yei – though never alone. If you are a kawaja (white person) and intend to come to South Sudan on your own, make sure that your will is in order before you leave. I wondered why they would not let me go into town on my own, but a few incidents made me realized that I could not walk through town on my own. There are other white folks here, but they are with organizations and do not walk through town. They travel in Toyota Land Cruisers (which look nothing like the ones in America – no leather seats and they are real all terrain vehicles – they rule the roads here. I have counted the number of American cars here and the number is zero. Another interesting driving note – Most of the cars here must come from Uganda where they drive on the left side of the road. Therefore the steering wheel in on the right. In Sudan they drive on the right – like in the USA, but the cars are all right hand steering wheel equipped – a bit disorienting, but the least of the problems here). Most kawajas eat at their compounds and travel with locals as well. I have used public transportation and have been buying food at the street stands. There is always a chance that a drunk or angry person may come after me. For the most part, the Sudanese are extrememly friendly, but it makes a big difference when you are with Sudanese friends. And so I am a fifty year old man who needs permission and an escort to go anywhere. Someone is assigned to me at all times. If is step two feet out of the compound, someone is there in two seconds. If the bodyguard is away, someone else in on duty.
On the road to Juba, our taxi van was stopped a few times. There were adhoc roadblocks set up along the way. In one village, a kid was killed by a car and they were building a speed bump - made from stones covered in mud – to slow down traffic and they were collecting money to pay the workers. In another town the army was concerned about the kawaja’s papers and spoke rudely to Agot, who is an officer in the army. She didn’t like the way she was spoken to – men speak fairly roughly to women. She was not in uniform and he didn’t know who he was messing with. There was some argument and finally they saw that my papers were in order and we moved on. We had to stop once when the luggage fell off the roof of the taxi.
We arrived in Juba and stopped at the gravesite of Dr. John Garange – the leader of the SPLA/M who died a year ago. He is sort of the George Washington of South Sudan. We then hit a traffic jam where a boy was killed in traffic only a few minutes earlier.
Then we arrived at the compound of the chief of police. As we arrived there was already a party going on with all of the top officers of the SPLA. All the leaders – such as the chief of police are all generals in the SPLA and were all part of the rebellion since it started in 1983. They have fought for decades and are now enjoying themselves a bit. They are also in the positions of power and power equals money.
Uncle – let’s call the chief of police uncle. He is Aduei’s mother’s brother. He has this house which is quite luxurious on Sudanese standards. He has a generator and there is electricity from 8pm – midnight. There is also limited running water. He has about five cars, five wives, and many other women. Right now he has a live-in girlfriend (his first wife is in Australia with his kids – but we’ll get to that soon), and their was much palace intrigue here last night. He has been ill and she is a woman who has had three husbands who have all died mysteriously. She is also from another tribe, but seems to have power over men, especially men with power. The golddigger concept was discussed and there were thoughts that she was not doing her best to make sure he got well. Let’s leave it at that for now.
I am meeting general after general – most of them Dinka and most of them from Bor – where this family is from - as was John Garang. It is also where the rebellion began in 1983. There is also some woman who has returned to Sudan after being in exile for many years – she allegedly stole 2.5 dollars allocated for women in Sudan. She was cleared of all charges. Connections. …..oh there is so much more……….
There is children here being united with their father after 21 years – and this is a common sight here. So many families torn apart during the war. And now is a time of reunification of families. What amazes me is even after 21 years, they don’t really even hug. The hand on the shoulder.
Okay, left out one thing. In Yei, one of the elders gave me a gift of the ebony and ivory stick that is carried only by the elders. I am really honored and I must walk with it everywhere.
I have been told that we will soon be going to the Internet “café” so I will rush with some bullets:
• There seems to be so much power concentrated in the hands of a few. Her uncle also owns a restaurant and two hotels. There are special restaurants for the elite.
• There are starting to be some fat Sudanese. Those in power can eat and drink beer.
• There is a staff of drivers and body guards here, but they are not treated very well. They do not eat until 10 pm.
• I have been re-reading the Declaration of Independence and the US Constituition – It gives much power to the people. The people must be informed and literate in order to exercise their constitutional rights. Education is the key here. I believe it will be hard for the elite to give up power.
• The officers all send their kids to schools abroad – Kenya, Uganda, and Europe and the US, while there is no free education here and the average Sudanese cannot afford to go to school.
• Democracy will not come easily – but I believe the western powers should invest in South Sudan.
• Being with the Dinka leadership, I have not lost any weight in Africa.
• Dreams – I have had the strangest dreams – and all of them about things that I don’t have: a job, an apartment and parents. My parents (died in 1975 and 1984) are in almost all of my dreams. I also find myself principal of various schools and I don’t know anyone there or I didn’t know I was the principal………I am also always in a different apartment – in one case living with my mother and kicking out my sister in revenge for when I came back from Europe in 1980 and she told me that there was no room for me anymore in my father’s apt.
• Another odd dream – On the first night I dreamt there was a video about John Garang and I told the family about it. The next day they announced that a film was just made and will be shown on the anniversary of his death (tomorrow). They found this a bit prophetic. I calmed them down. I’m not looking to be a white prophet.
• I have met the Sultan of Malek who will meet me up there.There was a bit of a prophecy that a Lost Girl would return from afar with a kawaga to open a school………gotta be careful of the prophecies……..i don’t wanna go anywhere near one……I jut wanna be a guy opening a school……there too much history here dealing with prophets.
• Things that don’t faze me anymore: goats, bulls, chickens, monkeys, lizards, garbage, littering, men sitting around, public nose picking, eagles, no water, no electricity, darkness, mud huts, the stares, ….it’s all good…..
• Another quick story – I was eating and whenever I eat, I taste this gritty/sandy texture. I asked what it was.. “It is sand, of course.”
• No one has small change here – you either get a credit or have to buy more. If everyone is paying in small change, why have they none for me? Very interesting.
• I am rich – though I am not a rich American, I have running water, a car, and a bag of electronics that could feed a family for four years..I also have glasses and a tooth brush.
• When traveling with women in one of Uncle’s cars, I have opened the door for the women. They find this shocking, since no one ever does that for them. Then I realized that in America, I might be considered anti-feminist for doing this. I just can’t win.
• Broom handles……..there is so much work here that involves the back. Sweeping with the straw broom – someday, someone will attach a stick and life will be easier.
• It is still exciting to be in a nation that is starting from ground zero. Juba has been bombed and bombed – and I hear that Bor is worse. Nothing has progressed here since 1983 and some say since 1956. Things are dilapidated – roads are hellish, there are still land mines,….but there are bits of sunlight – flowers growing in a field of weeds…..there is hope – but they must make progress while the hope is still here. There are so many people without jobs and little to eat. The afterglow of the peace will soon wear away and people will get tired of waiting for life to get better. I hope they use their funds and begin to fix the roads, build hospitals and schools and begin to spread the wealth. The South can be rich – it has oil and diamonds, but does it have the leadership? And can the leadership inspire the will of the people. Africa has had such a poor history of nation building. Do they need a Singapore-type benevolent dictatorship? I hope not. They can jump generations of technology – go wireless ….they have phones and can have internet to communicate where countries before had to send “runners” by foot. And how does this all fit into the current ethnic/tribal/cultural structure? .We shall see……This can be a beautiful country with beautiful people. They are hungry to learn, though no one has books. They find it strange when I sit outside and read by myself. They come over to make sure I am not bored. I have not seen a person reading. Though, when I have a book, they grab it and read sections and discuss. They are hungry to learn. This could be paradise.
• Some writing from the other day – forgot I wrote it: written about three days ago: some of it repeats…sorry…….in a rush to get this done…..will not have internet access for over a week, I assume……..
Yesterday, I was out at the CRS compound and came back to some strange energy The men from the father’s family were all very drunk and being very vocal. They feel that Aduei has been closer to the mother’s family – which is true since she didn’t really see her father since she was one – he was away.
They felt that the school should be located in another town near Bor and not in Malek where the mother’s family is from. Then they also were criticizing Aduei for being too American and wondering why she was not married yet….mixed drunk messages of pride that she is getting educated, but also that she should be married and having children at her age. ……
We await his permission to travel. I am grateful for their protection and I know that my experience will be so different if not for them. As I was out today, I was at a place that was showing music videos from their solar powered generator. I looked around and was with Abot and Deng, the deaf mute. I thought about the TDDY phone system we have and realized that that must be about number one million on their list of prioities and how foturnate we are in America to be able to worry about things such as rights for the disabled. I can also understand how the colonials saw the world and thought they could recreate it in their eyes – but it is not so simple. Sure, it seems like we should build roads, put in electricity
Wow, it’s dark…….all places are pitch black at night and everyone is black…..this is not easy.
But there is so much about the culture here that cannot simply be transposed into the modern world. The way they see the world is so different. The concept of power is also something that will control how changes are made. Will the leadership get most of the wealth? Do they understand the western concept of democracy. Will anyone with power really be willing to share it? Today the mother worked all day as 20 men sat around and drank – then in the afternoon, men had nothing to do. If everyone would have worked for five minutes, the place could have been cleaned up. When I suggested it, they said that they should get a woman servant. To help the mom….mom is sick and cannot be cured here. One must go to Kampala or Nairobi for treatment. She is in pain. The man sitting next to me has malaria and no money for pills. I still don’t understand how money is earned or spent here I can’t imagine wha tthat will be like. The clay roads – there are no sidewalks at all – are filled with garbage and waste. I am preparing myself for the capital of the south – Juba.
A wife is bought for a dowry and then she is like property. Kids are bought for cows. The slavery concept is still deeply imbedded. A man truly believes that he owns the woman and she must do all for him. A man can buy his kids for six cows from a wife he wants to leave……
I am sitting on the “porch” of the home of the chief of police for South Sudan. I am minutes from the Nile and frogs jump around here, eating grasshoppers and sucking in flies with their tongues. The weather is warm though nothing like a NYC summer day. It is cloudy and there is a breeze – though the humidity is much higher here than in Yei. I hope to be able to find an internet connection to be able to cut and paste this onto the blog – and if you are reading this, then I have been successful.
But let’s go back to Yei where the bull was slaughtered and Aduei and I were supposed to have left on Monday for Juba. There is much going on in Juba – it is the capital city and the LRA (the Lord’s Resistance Army –the rebels from Uganda) are meeting with the Ugandan gov’t to try to work out a peace agreement. The LRA is looking for a compromise and the gov’t is looking for a surrender. The meetings are done in Juba and have moved to a secret location in the bush – some say to the Congo. But back to Yei – we did not leave until Wedsnesday due to problems that came up.
Every society has its rules around sex and relationships. I guess, we can call this a moral system. But no society has been able to reign in the sexual drive of its citizens and the Dinka are no exception. There were issues with Aduie’s father (let’s call him father for now). The first problem was with his second wife who did not feel she was being treated fairly and she did not show up to the big bull slaughtering party. Aduei, her sister, Agot and the father spent the day at the second wife’s home working out issues with her family. It involved possession of the kids and cows. It seems that this was worked out…..but Wisteria Lane and Peyton Place reared their heads later that evening when the uncle of Father’s child in Australia came to pay a visit. You see, Father had a child with a woman before he was married, when he was a teenager. He was poor then and did not have any cows. He did not care for the women, so he just left her and her son. Her son is now 42 years old and a pastor in Australia and want to be legitimate and have father’s name. The uncle refuses to leave until six cows are paid – If they are not paid then the boy will take the name of the mother’s family – and Dinka men are proud of the number of boys that they have. Aduei and I contributed some money and some arrangement was made to collect the cows from the area in which they are kept. The uncle had gone there before and the keeper of the cows refused to give them up. The uncle stayed a few nights, some more conversations took place and he seemed to be satisfied. For a non-sexual society, there are an awful lot of illegitimate kids running around. Fortunatley, si cows can cure that
In the meantime, I was stranded in Yei – though never alone. If you are a kawaja (white person) and intend to come to South Sudan on your own, make sure that your will is in order before you leave. I wondered why they would not let me go into town on my own, but a few incidents made me realized that I could not walk through town on my own. There are other white folks here, but they are with organizations and do not walk through town. They travel in Toyota Land Cruisers (which look nothing like the ones in America – no leather seats and they are real all terrain vehicles – they rule the roads here. I have counted the number of American cars here and the number is zero. Another interesting driving note – Most of the cars here must come from Uganda where they drive on the left side of the road. Therefore the steering wheel in on the right. In Sudan they drive on the right – like in the USA, but the cars are all right hand steering wheel equipped – a bit disorienting, but the least of the problems here). Most kawajas eat at their compounds and travel with locals as well. I have used public transportation and have been buying food at the street stands. There is always a chance that a drunk or angry person may come after me. For the most part, the Sudanese are extrememly friendly, but it makes a big difference when you are with Sudanese friends. And so I am a fifty year old man who needs permission and an escort to go anywhere. Someone is assigned to me at all times. If is step two feet out of the compound, someone is there in two seconds. If the bodyguard is away, someone else in on duty.
On the road to Juba, our taxi van was stopped a few times. There were adhoc roadblocks set up along the way. In one village, a kid was killed by a car and they were building a speed bump - made from stones covered in mud – to slow down traffic and they were collecting money to pay the workers. In another town the army was concerned about the kawaja’s papers and spoke rudely to Agot, who is an officer in the army. She didn’t like the way she was spoken to – men speak fairly roughly to women. She was not in uniform and he didn’t know who he was messing with. There was some argument and finally they saw that my papers were in order and we moved on. We had to stop once when the luggage fell off the roof of the taxi.
We arrived in Juba and stopped at the gravesite of Dr. John Garange – the leader of the SPLA/M who died a year ago. He is sort of the George Washington of South Sudan. We then hit a traffic jam where a boy was killed in traffic only a few minutes earlier.
Then we arrived at the compound of the chief of police. As we arrived there was already a party going on with all of the top officers of the SPLA. All the leaders – such as the chief of police are all generals in the SPLA and were all part of the rebellion since it started in 1983. They have fought for decades and are now enjoying themselves a bit. They are also in the positions of power and power equals money.
Uncle – let’s call the chief of police uncle. He is Aduei’s mother’s brother. He has this house which is quite luxurious on Sudanese standards. He has a generator and there is electricity from 8pm – midnight. There is also limited running water. He has about five cars, five wives, and many other women. Right now he has a live-in girlfriend (his first wife is in Australia with his kids – but we’ll get to that soon), and their was much palace intrigue here last night. He has been ill and she is a woman who has had three husbands who have all died mysteriously. She is also from another tribe, but seems to have power over men, especially men with power. The golddigger concept was discussed and there were thoughts that she was not doing her best to make sure he got well. Let’s leave it at that for now.
I am meeting general after general – most of them Dinka and most of them from Bor – where this family is from - as was John Garang. It is also where the rebellion began in 1983. There is also some woman who has returned to Sudan after being in exile for many years – she allegedly stole 2.5 dollars allocated for women in Sudan. She was cleared of all charges. Connections. …..oh there is so much more……….
There is children here being united with their father after 21 years – and this is a common sight here. So many families torn apart during the war. And now is a time of reunification of families. What amazes me is even after 21 years, they don’t really even hug. The hand on the shoulder.
Okay, left out one thing. In Yei, one of the elders gave me a gift of the ebony and ivory stick that is carried only by the elders. I am really honored and I must walk with it everywhere.
I have been told that we will soon be going to the Internet “café” so I will rush with some bullets:
• There seems to be so much power concentrated in the hands of a few. Her uncle also owns a restaurant and two hotels. There are special restaurants for the elite.
• There are starting to be some fat Sudanese. Those in power can eat and drink beer.
• There is a staff of drivers and body guards here, but they are not treated very well. They do not eat until 10 pm.
• I have been re-reading the Declaration of Independence and the US Constituition – It gives much power to the people. The people must be informed and literate in order to exercise their constitutional rights. Education is the key here. I believe it will be hard for the elite to give up power.
• The officers all send their kids to schools abroad – Kenya, Uganda, and Europe and the US, while there is no free education here and the average Sudanese cannot afford to go to school.
• Democracy will not come easily – but I believe the western powers should invest in South Sudan.
• Being with the Dinka leadership, I have not lost any weight in Africa.
• Dreams – I have had the strangest dreams – and all of them about things that I don’t have: a job, an apartment and parents. My parents (died in 1975 and 1984) are in almost all of my dreams. I also find myself principal of various schools and I don’t know anyone there or I didn’t know I was the principal………I am also always in a different apartment – in one case living with my mother and kicking out my sister in revenge for when I came back from Europe in 1980 and she told me that there was no room for me anymore in my father’s apt.
• Another odd dream – On the first night I dreamt there was a video about John Garang and I told the family about it. The next day they announced that a film was just made and will be shown on the anniversary of his death (tomorrow). They found this a bit prophetic. I calmed them down. I’m not looking to be a white prophet.
• I have met the Sultan of Malek who will meet me up there.There was a bit of a prophecy that a Lost Girl would return from afar with a kawaga to open a school………gotta be careful of the prophecies……..i don’t wanna go anywhere near one……I jut wanna be a guy opening a school……there too much history here dealing with prophets.
• Things that don’t faze me anymore: goats, bulls, chickens, monkeys, lizards, garbage, littering, men sitting around, public nose picking, eagles, no water, no electricity, darkness, mud huts, the stares, ….it’s all good…..
• Another quick story – I was eating and whenever I eat, I taste this gritty/sandy texture. I asked what it was.. “It is sand, of course.”
• No one has small change here – you either get a credit or have to buy more. If everyone is paying in small change, why have they none for me? Very interesting.
• I am rich – though I am not a rich American, I have running water, a car, and a bag of electronics that could feed a family for four years..I also have glasses and a tooth brush.
• When traveling with women in one of Uncle’s cars, I have opened the door for the women. They find this shocking, since no one ever does that for them. Then I realized that in America, I might be considered anti-feminist for doing this. I just can’t win.
• Broom handles……..there is so much work here that involves the back. Sweeping with the straw broom – someday, someone will attach a stick and life will be easier.
• It is still exciting to be in a nation that is starting from ground zero. Juba has been bombed and bombed – and I hear that Bor is worse. Nothing has progressed here since 1983 and some say since 1956. Things are dilapidated – roads are hellish, there are still land mines,….but there are bits of sunlight – flowers growing in a field of weeds…..there is hope – but they must make progress while the hope is still here. There are so many people without jobs and little to eat. The afterglow of the peace will soon wear away and people will get tired of waiting for life to get better. I hope they use their funds and begin to fix the roads, build hospitals and schools and begin to spread the wealth. The South can be rich – it has oil and diamonds, but does it have the leadership? And can the leadership inspire the will of the people. Africa has had such a poor history of nation building. Do they need a Singapore-type benevolent dictatorship? I hope not. They can jump generations of technology – go wireless ….they have phones and can have internet to communicate where countries before had to send “runners” by foot. And how does this all fit into the current ethnic/tribal/cultural structure? .We shall see……This can be a beautiful country with beautiful people. They are hungry to learn, though no one has books. They find it strange when I sit outside and read by myself. They come over to make sure I am not bored. I have not seen a person reading. Though, when I have a book, they grab it and read sections and discuss. They are hungry to learn. This could be paradise.
• Some writing from the other day – forgot I wrote it: written about three days ago: some of it repeats…sorry…….in a rush to get this done…..will not have internet access for over a week, I assume……..
Yesterday, I was out at the CRS compound and came back to some strange energy The men from the father’s family were all very drunk and being very vocal. They feel that Aduei has been closer to the mother’s family – which is true since she didn’t really see her father since she was one – he was away.
They felt that the school should be located in another town near Bor and not in Malek where the mother’s family is from. Then they also were criticizing Aduei for being too American and wondering why she was not married yet….mixed drunk messages of pride that she is getting educated, but also that she should be married and having children at her age. ……
We await his permission to travel. I am grateful for their protection and I know that my experience will be so different if not for them. As I was out today, I was at a place that was showing music videos from their solar powered generator. I looked around and was with Abot and Deng, the deaf mute. I thought about the TDDY phone system we have and realized that that must be about number one million on their list of prioities and how foturnate we are in America to be able to worry about things such as rights for the disabled. I can also understand how the colonials saw the world and thought they could recreate it in their eyes – but it is not so simple. Sure, it seems like we should build roads, put in electricity
Wow, it’s dark…….all places are pitch black at night and everyone is black…..this is not easy.
But there is so much about the culture here that cannot simply be transposed into the modern world. The way they see the world is so different. The concept of power is also something that will control how changes are made. Will the leadership get most of the wealth? Do they understand the western concept of democracy. Will anyone with power really be willing to share it? Today the mother worked all day as 20 men sat around and drank – then in the afternoon, men had nothing to do. If everyone would have worked for five minutes, the place could have been cleaned up. When I suggested it, they said that they should get a woman servant. To help the mom….mom is sick and cannot be cured here. One must go to Kampala or Nairobi for treatment. She is in pain. The man sitting next to me has malaria and no money for pills. I still don’t understand how money is earned or spent here I can’t imagine wha tthat will be like. The clay roads – there are no sidewalks at all – are filled with garbage and waste. I am preparing myself for the capital of the south – Juba.
A wife is bought for a dowry and then she is like property. Kids are bought for cows. The slavery concept is still deeply imbedded. A man truly believes that he owns the woman and she must do all for him. A man can buy his kids for six cows from a wife he wants to leave……
posted by Charly at 7:38 AM
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