MARKINSUDAN

2006-09-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

A typcial bike. There are few posessions over here so what people do own they treasure - such as bicycles. These items regularly have flowers or items dangling from them. Furthermore, bikes are strictly a 'man's thing' as I have never seen a woman/girl even on one.

2006-09-13T01:27:00.000-07:00

This is a typical residence for an IDP family. I understand that most families have about 5 children and many men have more than one wife. But, as our 'handler' pointed out, the maximum number of wives a man can have is 4! In this area most people sleep outside unless it is raining than they move inside their small dwelling.

2006-09-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

Another review of the IDP camp. the CBC camera is off to the left.

2006-09-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

At the IDP camp. I did not wear a uniform as AMIS is often not welcome since many people do not believe they are doing enough over here.

2006-09-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

This is a closer shot of the distribution centre. Each family has to provide her meal ticket to one of the six staples. In this case, they are getting cooking oil. All the food is distribution by the World Food Programme (a UN Agency) while this particular camp is actually run by the Spanish Red Cross.

2006-09-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of six distribution camps in the IDP camp. Each family comes here to get their foodstuffs for an entire month. They don't get much as they are given only 6 staples. The two most important being cereal and a type of flour.

2006-09-13T01:10:00.000-07:00

Escorting the CBC crew around, I was able to go with them as they entered into the Al ba Shoulk Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp located about 3 miles from where I work. Approx 50,000 people live in this camp. One of about 150 such camps in Darfur.

2006-09-13T01:04:00.000-07:00

This is just beside the main market and is the town's soccer stadium. Shortly after the rains, it flooded 'big time.'

2006-09-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

As soon as we started our camel rides, the children started to "come out of the woodwork." They thought we were very funny.

2006-09-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

As there are so many camels around, I decided to organize some camel rides for some of the Western partners. I have come to the conclusion that camels are smelly, ugly beasts.

2006-09-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

One of the better dinners served here. Yes, I said better dinners. Typically lunch (and supper) is rice accompanied with some type of meat that is typically more bone or grissle than meat. This was a banner meal since, as opposed to simply having onion salad (just onions - nothing else), there were vegetables (well sort of). Also there were beans (and added bonus). The top left thing is a soup. The serving trays are something left over from some far forgotten war as they would never be used in Canada as they would be deemed un-hygenic (I don't think they are cleaned in very hot water - if at all). There is never any dairy products or any choice or substitutes. What you see is what you get. Hence, I rely on foodstuffs that I buy locally or have shipped to Canada and only go to the cafeteria on the very rare occassion we have visitors so they can understand the quality of food. No wonder my predessor lost 35 lbs!

2006-09-01T01:26:00.000-07:00

There is a place down from my camp which makes clay pots. Well, maybe not clay as the pots are acutally made out of donkey manure. These kids, and their mothers (I never see any men around) live behind the piles of manure and pots. I bought one pot cost me 100 dinar, about 50 cents. Shortly after this photo was taken I passed out some candy and was surrounded by 20 kids.

2006-09-01T01:21:00.000-07:00

Slowed down by a herd of goats and sheep that are travelling up the highway, I shot this photo of the children who were accompanying the animals. The kids are dressed in typical cloths of farmers. The one riding the mule actually has a rope tied around the dog he is pulling along.

2006-08-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

One of the many kids I see in the market. He is traditionally dressed in a long cotten robe. The kids are either barefoot or wear simple plastic flipflops - which in the heat can't last that long. While there appears to be many that do go to government run schools, many just hang around the market trying to clean cars or beg for money. Some even carry little wooden signs that have Arabic verses from the Koran explaining how important it is to give to the poor in the hopes that it will entice one to give to them.

2006-08-22T04:52:00.000-07:00

Kids are everywhere in Darfur, and, they all seem to be carrying things. Here, four or five kids are carrying some stuff they were able to scrounge from my camp. When I walk outside the barb wire at the camp or am in the market I always have a pocket full of candy that I give out. It is amazing how quickly the children learn you have candy. Last night I went for a walk and saw two kids, around the ages of 3 and 5, and gave each of them a candy. I didn't think anyone else was around but, within thirty seconds, there were a dozen of them and I was almost swamped with hands looking for candy. You also have to ensure the small kids get some as the older ones will take it from them.

2006-08-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

A typical road in El Fashir. The city is simply built on the desert and, as far as I have been able to find, has only two asphalt roads. Holes, ruts, and large trenches are found through the city (on both the sand and paved roads).

2006-08-22T04:14:00.000-07:00

One of my British friends looking at the vast arrays of one of the larger hardware stores in El Fashir. That is it. That is the entire store. If you can't find it here (and there isn't much there in the first place), you will probably have to go to Khartuom, over a thousand miles away, to get it.

2006-08-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

This is a blacksmith shop in downtown El Fashir. The little boy in the back is actually moving the bellows to get the fire hot enough so as to mold the metal. No requirement for protective measures here.

2006-08-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Music is the international language. This is the closest one will find to a music store in El Fashir. By the way, they only sell cassettes.

2006-08-22T03:45:00.000-07:00

Throughout El Fashir there are numerous shoe stores. Here is one such cobler. The shoes are typically made out of cheap leather but occassionally have leopard fur or snake or alligator skin on them to improve their appearance.

2006-08-22T03:34:00.000-07:00

Beside the wadi in the centre of El Fashir, are a number of outdoor shops that might best be termed shacks. This is one of the many barbershops that is present and which I have never partaken in.

2006-08-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

Everyday I pass through herds of cattle, sheep, goats and of course wild dogs. While I regularly see camels in my travels, this was the first time I had to drive through a mass of them as they crossed the road!

2006-08-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

Throughout El Fashir there are numerous aid agencies. Too many to count actually. In this photo is a convoy from the World Food Programme travelling through to North Darfur to deliver food to one of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

2006-08-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Connor picked out my t-shirt so I thought he would like to see me in it.

2006-08-16T02:10:00.000-07:00

A typical toilet (if you can call it that). While these are the style of a typical abolution found on the camps for both sexes, I am fortunate in that the one provided to us from the contractors is much more akin what is found in North America. Notice the sign above the water tank explaining how to use a 'regular toilet.'

2006-08-16T01:59:00.000-07:00

Nyala is a much bigger town than El Fasher. Clearly indicative of this fact, is that there are four restaurants located in this city! We had hoped to find a pizza but had to settle for this. Not exactly sure what it was we ate but the meal included some sort boned meat with a grizzle, rice wrapped to look like sausage, and a combo of rice and potato. In true African fashion you eat with your hands although here my British and Swedish colleagues had brought their own knives and forks (cheaters!).

2006-08-16T01:46:00.000-07:00

On the edge of the military compound at Nyala we drove past this IDP camp. For a lack of a better term, these are "squaters" existence is totally dependent on various NGOs, like the World Food Programme, for their meals.

2006-08-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

As we headed south on our hour long helicopter flight, the landscape slowly became more green and fertile. What looks like a river is actually a simple wadi, whose waters will soon evaporate.

2006-08-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

This a photo of two villages as seen from above. Such villages dot the desert terrain.

2006-08-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

This El Fasher from the air. The water areas are only temporarily and are caused by the rainy season. When the rainy season ends in a couple of weeks, all the water will quickly disappear for another year. I must admit that the rainy season does make driving more interesting as large areas are now covered with water or have become mud fields. Luckily, I have my own land rover (4X4) that I can drive anywhere.

2006-08-14T02:26:00.000-07:00

With no permanent lake or river anywhere nearby, local children (always boys) skinny dip in a pool of water that has accumulated near the side of the road. As soon as they see me the kids do the same thing that all the local children do. They put out their hand and say the only English word they know, "money."

2006-08-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

Located directly outside of Camp ZamZam are two 'stores,' affectinately known as "7-11s" (named after the American corner store chain). Most of the off duty Africans visit there as both have satellite TV. Located there are also some 'tea ladies.' This African version of a lemonade stand offer customers a variety of coffees and tea and can be found throughout the region.

2006-08-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

You cannot buy loafs of bread in the Sudan. Instead, you buy buns. Five buns costs about 100 Sudanese Dinar (about $.50) and they are pretty good. However, it only last a couple of day as it has no preservatives. This is one of the 'barkeries' we use. We simply order a bag of bread, the man disappears and shortly returns with the buns, which are always warm.

2006-08-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the departure of the other Cdn mil officer, I arranged for a cake to be made which cost about $50 USD. The ingredients included 24 eggs and 15 pouches of cool whip (needles to say, it was a heavy cake). Pictured here is Armani, a contracted national employee and one of Camp ZamZam's cook.

2006-08-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday and Thursday (the beginning and end of the work week here), a quarter guard of eight soldiers is formed up for the arrival of the Force Commander. There is even a bugler to announce that the Cdr's vehicle is approaching. For the remainder of those two days a single sentry is posted who stands a ceremonial vigil at the entrance of the camp. While not up to Goldstream Guards' standards, this Ghanian does add some colour to the place. I personnally like the ascot (known in military parlance as a dickie). I have been issued one but have yet to wear it - and will not unless otherwise ordered to.

2006-08-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

This is the African Union's flag. The banner with two stars that hang below it indicates that it is the personnal flag of the Force Commander (who is a Nigerian major-general). As with all military distinguishing penants, it flies whenever he is in his office.

2006-08-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Looking at some grade A beef in the market! While it wasn't too expensive by Canadian standards (about $5USD per kilo while sheep was $7.5USD per kilo), I still did not buy any (if you look closely you might be able to see the large variety of flies swirling about). The person beside me is another AMIS colleague, Ahmed (a lieutenant-colonel from the Egyptian police force). As his native tongue is Arabic, he was a great help strolling through the market.

2006-08-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

This is one of the side streets of El Fashir's market and gives a good view of the city in the background. To my right are some "stores" selling shoes. There are no garbage cans in the city so people simply discard items that are subsequently either picked up by the poor or are trampled on by people walking about.

2006-08-09T00:40:00.000-07:00

Shopping in the market. Here we are talking to a "holy man" who is selling magical talismen which, we are told, will protect the wearer from death, fire, impotency, etc.

2006-08-09T00:17:00.000-07:00

This is the "junk yard" that I drive through daily. Besides garbage, the locals drop off their dead horses and donkeys to rot (you can see one or two in the foreground). The stench while driving through here is quite formidable and we have to roll up the windows on our land rover to prevent being overcome by it. As an indication of the poverty we regularly see, you will notice two children playing under the tree.

2006-08-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

On my way to work each day we pass through one of the many transient areas that have popped up around the city. Here is one of those suburbs which lies next door to a junk yard. Typically, the locals use whatever they can get their hands on to make their homes. In this case a lot of old plastic bags. The aparatus in the background are two 40 gal drums that have been welded together which the Sudanese use to transport water.

2006-08-08T01:10:00.000-07:00

My first sandstorm! It is quite and impressive sight as you see the sand come towards you. Typically, we are being hit by a sandstorm every other day which are followed by a dose of rain. Notice the observation post with two Rwadan soldiers who are typically armed with AK-47 machine guns and is one of many posts manned 24/7.

2006-08-08T00:47:00.000-07:00

This is my home sweet home in the Sudan. For the next six months this is where I will stay. An air conditioned tent. When compared to what most of the African Union troops and civilian police have, this is palatial. I even have a small refridgerator to store my water and foodstuffs. So far the mosquitos have not been a problem, but I have my mosquito net at the 'ready' for when they arrive after the rainy season.

2006-08-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

Here an Ethipian farm girl running after some of the candy I had thrown.

2006-08-08T00:22:00.000-07:00

On the way to the Bishangari Eco-Lodge, we were inundated with farm children coming up to us to see what we looked like and see if we would give them anything. In travelling to our destination we would throw candies from our land rovers and the children would come running up to the vehicle. In the background is the farm house that these children and parents live in.

2006-08-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Here I am at the Bishangarian Eco-lodge partaking in the traditional coffee ceremony that regularly takes place throughout the country. To snack on, we were provided something akin to dry roasted barley (seen on the rock table in front of me).

2006-08-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

These are some of the "stores" that line the road around Addis Ababa and from which many Ethiopians earn a living.

2006-08-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

This is "Canada House" in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I resided while waiting for my Sudanese Visa. It houses upwards of eleven people, all of whom are CF personnel working with the African Union. The house has unarmed guards 24/7. Note the constatina barbed wire on top of the walls.