Show né?

Também, com essa juba né negão, qualquer leão te trataria bem.

E por falar em juba, Bieine, feliz aniversário!

Het was best interessant om te zien hoe Kamerleden zich bewegen in Soedan met wie ze gesprekken voeren en waar de gesprekken overgaan.

De Kamerleden blijken tijdens zo een buffet opeens hele normale mensen te zijn die heel geïnteresseerd zijn in wat wij als veldwerkers doen, meemaken en denken over de situatie in Zuid Soedan. Het was een gezellige avond met lekker eten, hellaas geen Nederlands voer zoals kroketten en frikadellen. Beste Nederlanders in Nederland die belasting betalen onwijs bedankt hiervoor  :)

De afvaarding was in Soedan vanwege de VN vredesmissie en de financiële steun die Nederland aan Zuid Soedan geeft .

De afvaardigding bestond uit:
• Mr Hendrik Jan Ormel, chairman of the Committee and MP = CDA
• Ms Kathleen Gertrud Ferrier, MP = CDA
• Mr Raymond Willem Knops, MP = CDA
• Mr Harm Evert Waalkens, MP = PvdA
• Ms Chantal Denise Merville Gill’ard, MP = PvdA
• Mr Ewout Irrgang, MP =SP
• Mr Arend Johannes Boekestijn, MP = VVD
• Ms Monique van der Bijl, Clerk of the House

Na Juba vlogen de parlements leden terug van Juba na Khartoum. Tijdens deze vlucht moest het vliegtuig een noodlanding maken. De Missie van het parlement werd door de afvaarding geslaagd genoemd. Ik hoop dat ze dat na hun vertrek uit Juba nog steeds vinden.

]]> http://sudanreturnee.wordpress.com/?p=51 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:38:17 +0000 sudanreturnee http://sudanreturnee.ar.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/a-report-on-juba-city/ Some time back in May/June, I got this report below on one of the forums. I thought it was interesting with a little bit of salt added to it. I doubt the accuracy of this report, but it is not too far off the target. Believe you me, this is roughly what happens in Juba.

Enjoy and please comment..

NB: I just noticed the report left out some things. I'll try to post something on them, in the meantime, please fell free to ask me whatever you want to know about life and living in this great and historic town/city of Juba. Kizzie and Dalu, you are invited for a weekend Juba style. Sudanese Thinker, stop philosophizing and lets celebrate theCPA. Dr Konyo, someone is asking for socks. As for me, I'll be the sober driver/ tour guide.

Brief background of Southern Sudan and Juba

Juba is a city that is fastly and rapidly growing in the international scene with dilapidated infrastructures that was the remnants of the two decades civil war that has taken back one of Africa wealthiest countries

The region got into peace atmosphere three years ago after the signing of the comprehensive peace Agreement known as CPA between the two foes of NCP a northern political party that took over government in a coup in 1989 lead by president Omer Hassan al Bashir and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLA/M) the former Liberation Movement led by the late Col. Dr, John Garang De Mabior

SPLM is a member of the coalition government of Sudan and the governing party in Southern Sudan with,
Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit is the Vice President of the Republic and the President of the government of Southern Sudan who is the chairman of SPLM

Juba opened up to the world as a result of the CPA, a huge presence of the International organizations as well as the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

Juba has become a cosmopolitan city with a secular law unlike in the northern part of the Country which is governed under the Islamic Sheria Law

There also big presence of the nationals from the neighboring countries like Uganda, Kenya, DRC as well as from Ethiopia and Eritrea either working for Companies, Organisation, Small scale Business, Government offices or other evening businesses

Juba is wearing a new face today compare to three years ago, with all of infrastructure coming up from all angles, roads are being tarmac, and the only hospital renovated and individual lives under development visibly

However, the moral life of Juba is changing every day from the Juba we know in early 80’s to worse; let us talk about weekends in Juba

A studies we conducted this months shows as follows

(a) every weekend, about 100,000 bottles of beers are consumed between Friday and Sunday
(b) 2 ton of assorted condoms are used
(c) 20 people out of the population who went out in these days contract HIV/AIDS
(d) 35 girls who go out on these days gets pregnant
(e) 1250 cars are parked outside the Bars a cross Juba
(f) 10 cars gets involved in accident after drinking mostly with registration GOSS
(g) 2000 Senkes (cheap motorbike from Congo) were out
(h) 100 Senkes gets involve in accident mainly young boys between the age of 12-15 with their girlfriends on board
(i) At least 10 funerals on Mondays associated to the weekend
(j) 3750 people engage in physical fighting across Juba mainly because of ladies
(k) Over 800,000 people of Juba sleep late at 5 am over the weekend
(l) At least 800,000 people wake up with hangovers
(m) At least 280 goats are slaughtered over the weekend
(n) 10 drums of soup are consumed for the treatment of Hangovers
(o) 50 husbands are caught by their wives while attending to girlfriends
(p) At least 200 people come to Juba from Khartoum for weekends, mainly northerners
(q) At least all Ugandans and Kenyans at the age of 15-40 were out in various clubs

We hope that you enjoy reading this report and we will continue updating all of you as details come in

The Institute for Strategic Social Studies
Juba Southern Sudan

The other day, as part of our research for this book which is now achingly close to completion, I got hold of a map of Juba from the United Nations operation for the Co-Ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a name almost as unweildy as the institution itself.

The key of the map lists, astonishingly, amost 100 NGOs - and these are just the NGOs that a) would fit on the map and b) that the OCHA deemed worthy of inclusion (i.e., not the innumerable smaller outfits). This is absolutely astonishing, given that the civil war is now supposed to have ended and the former rebels are power-sharing with the government. Let's not forget the countless UN personnel who operate out of Juba, too.

Now, I know that I am probably the last one to write favourably about NGOs in Africa and am rather of the mind that the operations of UNMIS should be suspended and the organisation relaunched, in due course, as a holiday club for aging civil servants.

But, still, even I am startled by the amount of money that is being thrown at the various conflicts and wars now taking place in Sudan. And on what exactly?

Answers on the back of a postcard, please, for I would surely love to know.

In Juba heerst nu officieel en cholera uitbraak. Dit is een van de gevaarlijkste dingen die kan gebeuren in een kwetsbaar land. Via Juba, als hoofdstad van Zuid Soedan, reizen veel mensen door  naar andere gebieden. Ook ligt Juba aan het begin van de Nijl. De meeste mensen in Juba wassen zich in de Nijl en halen hun drinkwater uit de Nijl. Dit houdt in dat cholera zich makkelijk door het land verspreid. En dat is ook wat nu gebeurt niet alleen in Juba, maar nu ook rondom Juba wordt Cholera geconstateerd.

*Moet je eens even voortstellen dat stad ter grote van Rotterdam zich gaat wassen in de Maas en na het wassen neemt men een jerrycan Maaswater mee naar huis voor drinkwater consumptie (niet behandelt Maaswater natuurlijk).

Soms snap ik niet helemaal dat in een stad als Juba waar zoveel NGO’s, VN organisaties en overheidinstellingen zijn gevestigd nog steeds iedereen niet behandelt rivierwater drinkt, de meeste mensen op straat poepen en ze massaal hun afval op straat dumpen.

Anyway….. terug naar Kator. Hier zijn we dus deze week begonnen aan het opknappen van de installatie. Na een paar simpele veranderingen hebben we de capaciteit kunnen verhogen van 60.000L per dag naar 120.000L per dag. Het opknappen heeft veel weg een van reünie waar je na lange tijd elkaar niet gezien te hebben, ff kan bij praten. Op een operator na zijn alle operators van de installatie er nog steeds en zijn super enthousiast en willen graag meteen beginnen met het opknappen van de installatie. Na 2 dagen bikkelen, zit er al schoon water in de watertanks en kunnen we de mensen voorzien van schoon drinkwater via een noodkranen voorziening terwijl een lokale aannemer doorwerkt aan een meer permanente oplossing. Na 7 dagen is de hele installatie weer up to date en wordt per uur 6700L getapt. In een dag tijd wordt er 60.000L drinkwater getapt. Als het nieuws zich verspreidt zal de consumptie zich snel verdubbelen (120.000L per dag).

Het was mooi om te zien hoe gemotiveerd de operators zijn en zelfs na niet uitbetaald hebben gekregen nog steeds door werken om hun gemeenschap van schoon drinkwater te voor zien. Gelukkig hebben de operators hun geld van afgelopen maanden nu ontvangen. Vol energie wordt er nu water gepompt voor de gemeenschap in Kator. Een gemeenschap die zich in een twee jaar tijd verdubbeld heeft.

Abyei heeft een speciale regeling in het vredesakkoord tussen Noord en Zuid. Abyei mag in een referdum zelf kiezen of het bij Noord Soedan wilt horen of Zuid Soedan. Zie ook http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abyei of www.crisisgroup.org

De gevechten in Abyei waren erg heftig de helft van de stad Abyei bestaat niet meer en de hele stad van 150.000 inwoners is op de vlucht geslagen. Mensen uit Noord Soedan vluchten naar het noorden de mensen het Zuid Soedan naar het zuiden. SPLA en SAF beschuldigen elkaar van het beginnen van een nieuwe oorlog.

Na de gevechten verzamelen er zich veel IDPs (Intern Displaced People) in Akoch. Akoch is een plaatsje op een 45 min. rijden van Abyei. De populatie in Akoch verviervoudigd (als het niet meer is) en in Akoch zijn geen basis voorzieningen voor zoveel mensen. Medair besluit een assesment team naar Akoch te sturen om te onderzoeken of Medair kan helpen aan de noden van de mensen daar. Na een wat voorbereiding vertrek ik een dag later met mijn Collega Samuel naar Akoch. Hier doen we samen met andere NGO's en UN organisaties een assesment.

De situatie die we daar aantreffen is vrij bizar. Complete famillies zitten onder een boom te wachten op wat de volgende dag brengen zal, zonder enige bescherming tegen regen en zon. Tukuls van mensen uit Akoch die gevlucht zijn dieper naar het zuiden worden nu bewoond door IDPs uit Abyei. Naast veel IDPs zwermen er ook heel veel militairen rond klaar om naar de frontlinie te gaan of ze komen er net van terug. er wordt aangenomen dat er rond de 60.000 IDPs in Akoch zitten. Akoch wordt door veel IDPs gebruikt als een rust plaats voordat de reis verder gaat dieper het Zuiden in voor mensen. Als je geld hebt kan je met een vrachtwagen of bus mee en anders is het lopen de eerste groote plaats is een uur rijden met de auto.

In een klein plaatsje vlakbij komen we een jongen tegen Deng Bol. Hij is een dag eerder aangekomen van zijn tocht uit Abyei. Tijdens zijn vlucht is hij zijn moeder en vader uit het oog verloren en is nu alleen. Deng Bol is 10 jaar en staar er nu alleen voor niet wetend hoe het met de rest van zijn familie is. Tijdens ons Assesment is er gelukkig ook iemand mee van UNICEF die als taak heeft kinderen die hun famillie uit het oog verloren heeft te verenigen met hun familie. De gegevens van Deng Bol worden geregristeerd. In de hele regio gebeurt hetzelfde als UNICEF er niet is dan gebeurt de registratie door de lokale overheid.

Akoch en omgeving worden ook overbevolkt door NGO's die allemaal willen helpen om de situattie te verzachten of te verbeteren. Per dag worden er door verschillende NGO's 3 nieuwe water putten aangeslagen. het is een heel Circus met organisatie's die allemaal gespecialiseerd zijn in water, sanitatie, gezondsheidzorg, voedselprogramma'a etc, etc.

Medair helpt de mensen in vergeten gebieden die niet zoveel of geen aandacht krijgen. In Juba en in Parajock bijvoorbeeld zijn er cholera uitbraken veel honderden mensen hebben cholera maar krijgen nauwlijks aandacht. In Parajock is een Medair team hard bezig om de mensen schoon water te geven en de sanitatie te verbeteren. Een gezondheidsteam start er een nood kliniek op op de cholera patienten te behandelen.

Medair besluit dat Juba voorrang krijgt op Akoch. Een dag later als ik terug kom uit Akoch start ik de werkzaamheden in Juba om de oude Nood Drink Water Installatie in Juba die een half jaar niet gewerkt heeft op te knappen op dit moment zijn er al zo'n 200 cholera gevallen geregristeerd in Juba. Waarschijnlijk is Medair de enige NGO in deze gebieden die probeert de water & sanitatie situatie te verbeteren.

picture source: New Vision Newspaper

Royal Daisy Airlines,a Ugandan regional carrier, has teamed up with Kenya’s Lake Vic Aviation Company to add a Kisumu-Entebbe itinerary in their offerings. The regional carrier's only route is between Entebbe and Juba in Sudan.

New Vision

ورغم أن العديد من رجالات المقاومة يُحبذون عدم التعرض لأعمال المجاهدين بالتحليل أو التقييم حيث يحمل ذلك بين طياته قدحا في المجاهدين وإشغالهم عن أهدافهم وإعانة لأعدائهم ولسان حالهم يقول "إذا لم تكن مجاهدا فدع المجاهدين وشأنهم"، إلا أنني لست أتعرض هنا لنقد أعمالهم ولكن أعرض ما دار في ذهني من حديث بيني وبين نفسي، فمنذ أن شاهدت سلسلة أفلام قناص بغداد وهو لماذا يستهدفون الشرطة العراقية وهم مسلمون، ودم المسلم أعظم حرمة عند الله من الكعبة المشرفة!!!

وبعد تفكير عميق جدا تبادر إلى ذهني تساؤل وهو: لماذا كان حكم المرتد هو الموت والله حكم عدل ولا يظلم أحدا؟

ثم تدبرت في الأمر فوجدت أن المجتمع المسلم مجتمع متماسك وهو كما وصفه رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وسلم) بأنه كالبنيان يشد بعضه بعضا، والمرتد يشكل ثغرة في هذا الجسد ولذا فكان لابد من قتله حفاظا على ترابط هذا الجسد وعدم تخلخله خاصة أن الخلية المريضة لابد أنها ستصيب بعض الخلايا حولها بالعدوى فالأمر أشبه بالسرطان، ولكن أغلب الظن أن عناصر المقاومة لا يعزون قتل عناصر الشرطة العراقية إلى قتل الردة ولكن إلى قتل الحد لقوله تعالى: إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَنْ يُقَتَّلُوا أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوا أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ أَوْ يُنْفَوْا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ولكن المشكلة أنه حتى قتل الحد في هذه الآية يشترط خروج المسلم عن دينه، ولا أعلم إن كانت تنطبق على من يعينون جيوش العدو بأن يدلونهم على مكان المقاومين أو شيء من هذا القبيل، والوضع في العراق مختلف عن القتال في أفغانستان مثلا حيث للمقاومين مناطق محددة، ولكن المقاوم يخرج يسعى على رزقه ثم يعود ليُقاتل، ولهذا قد يكتشف أمره هؤلاء الخونة مما يُضعف المُقاومة، ولعل هذا ما دفع المقاومة العراقية لاستهداف الشرطة العراقية، وفي النهاية أنا أناقش نفسي ولا أملك أبدا أن ألوم المقاومة العراقية على فعلها فهم أدرى بأحوالهم وظروفهم، ولكني سُقت هذا الحديث مع نفسي لأني أعلم أن كثير ممن سيشاهدون هذه السلسلة من الأفلام قد يعيبون هذا الأمر على المقاومة العراقية كما عبته أنا من قبل.

فالمؤمن مأمور بالصبر عن معصية الله، وأن يقف عند حدوده ويترك الأمر لله تعالى في حكمه وهذا هو أدب الابتلاء، ومخطئ من يظن أن الخونة يَمضون إلى الآخرة بغير عقاب في الدنيا، فمن قرأ مثلا كتاب علشان متنضربش على قفاك للمحامي والعقيد السابق عمر عفيفي يجده يذكر في كتابه أن المرشدين غالبا ما تكون نهايتهم طعنة بمطواة أو السجن لأن الله حكم عدل، وينصر أولياءه بل وينصر الدين بالرجل الفاجر، ومع الصبر والوقوف عند حدود الله يأتي النصر والله تعالى يقول: وكأين من نبي قاتل معه ربيون كثير فما وهنوا لما أصابهم في سبيل الله وما ضعفوا وما استكانوا والله يحب الصابرين وما كان قولهم إلا أن قالوا ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا وإسرافنا في أمرنا وثبت أقدامنا وانصرنا على القوم الكافرين فآتاهم الله ثواب الدنيا وحسن ثواب الآخرة والله يحب المحسنين.

ومن أقوال الهندي عبد الغفار خان الذي اتبع مبدأ غاندي في اللاعنف:

“سأقدم لكم سلاحاً فريداً لا تقدر الشرطة ولا الجيش علي الوقوف ضده. إنه سلاح النبي، لكن لا علم لكم به. هذا السلاح هو الصبر والاستقامة. ولا توجد قوة على وجه الأرض تستطيع الوقوف ضده”

لمشاهدة سلسلة أفلام قناص بغداد قم بزيارة هذا الموقع.

أو قم بالتحميل من الروابط التالية:

• الرابط الأول
• الرابط الثاني
• الرابط الثالث
• الرابط الرابع
• الرابط الخامس
• الرابط السادس
• الرابط السابع
• الرابط الثامن

My name is Alexandra Coffin. I am a representative of the ICU Club at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, CA.

You may or may not know of our cause. We are a dedicated group of kids focused on bringing peace to Uganda, Africa. Our ultimate goal is to end the civil war that has ravaged the lives of Ugandan men, women, and children for over two decades. The war in Uganda is the single longest running civil war in Africa's history.

The children in northern Uganda live in fear every day of the Lord's Resistance Army, or the LRA. The LRA is the rebel army fighting against the racist Ugandan government. Their cause is a somewhat reasonable one, but their dwindling resources have forced LRA officers to abduct and train children to become killing machines. Child soldiery has been condemned worldwide-so why is our government staying silent?

The situation in Uganda is being called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. When word of this tragedy reached the students in ICU, it sparked an insatiable fire in our hearts and minds, an inferno raging on for change. Firsthand I have seen and felt the passion in our hearts for the people of northern Uganda. There is a primal instinct to scream for help for these people.

Yet, we are muffled. Our mouths are smothered by the reputation of apathy we are forced to bear. Political theorists see the apathy our generation breeds as the firsts sign of the fall of the American Empire. We look to our history, long for the dedication of the Greatest Generation. We mourn their deaths as if their legacy has fallen with them.

But they are not dead. We are here, we are alive! We are dedicated, passionate people who are willing to speak up for the rights of humanity. Our only hindrances are the chains that bind us, the borderlines of age and stereotype.

We are here!

Representative McKeon, we are begging for our chance to prove that we can save America. We are the future, but we cannot affect now without a voice. By the time our chance comes, it may be too late.

Americans have become inefficient, apathetic consumers. Our pride has become foolish and blind. But there is still hope.

We can restore the United States of America to the foundations of equality and unity we were built upon. We can return the American spirit to our society. Our passion for change reaches further than Uganda. We want to change the way the world views our fellow man.

But we need the voice we've lost from attempting to yell over the drone of our apathetic counterparts.

Our voice can be found, but not without your help, Representative McKeon. It is estimated that, in order to return displaced Ugandan citizens to their homes, it will take around $25 million, a portion of which can be given by our government. Even without the financial aid, we are asking for US support for the peace talks currently taking place in Juba, Sudan. You can contribute, Representative. You can help us.

Please, give us our voice. We can make change.

Sincerely,
Alexandra Coffin

Journalists, diplomatic corps and some NGO officials have been flown in to report and witness the event.

Joseph Kony, the rebel leader, wants some elaborations on some issues before putting his signature on that document. At least this is the official reason given for the delay.

Unofficially, it has been reported that Kony is redeploying his troops to Central Africa Republic from the thick forests of Congo (DRC). 'Analists' believe that this move would make it easier for Khartoum to resupply their old friend, the LRA, with arms and what-have-you to destabalize the southern Sudan and Northern Uganda.

In the main time, parts of southern Sudan and northern Uganda still live in constant fear of these child-abducting rebels! In southern Sudan, they are called 'Tong Tong' meaning those who chop off people's arms. The Tong Tong have left a trail of chaos, disaster and tragedy.

We all hope Kony sings this deal and peace comes to Uganda and Sudan. 

• Phase 1: Sudan; (Khartoum, Omdurhman, Malakam, Kongor, Bor, Juba, Ganzi, Yei)
• Phase 2: D.R.Congo; (Aba, Faradje, Watsa, Baku, Bunia, Kasenye)
• Phase 3: Uganda; (Fort Pontal, Kasese, Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, Kisoro)

 As stated above, this is a predefinition, we are still in the planning phase of the project, while further researches are done changes may take place to this original scheduling.

 If you have information/contacts of Christian Missions working on these areas, please get in touch with us by the following email address 2009Project@umafrica.org .

 yours,
+UMAfrica Team

For the first time in the political history of 'Islamic' Sudan, SPLM is set to nominate 5 women as ambassadors to head diplomatic missions abroad. Please note these ambassadors will be representing SUDAN and  the Government of National Unity (GONU), but not SPLM and the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). 

In the New Sudan (geographical Southern Sudan, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan), it is mandatory that 25% at all levels of government and the party have to or MUST be reserved and filled by women! This is of course what stands on paper; in the ground sometimes there are not enough qualified women or the bosses simply ignore the policy.

In Juba, you can actually see the policy bear fruits. In every ministry you enter, you are bound to see a young female executive (or executive female) smartly dressed in a suit and a short shirt. They rediate power and when they talk, a simple sentence almost always comes out like a command from a army general... you know women in powerful positions! But I'm loving it, especially when the 'orders' are not barked at me.... This is one of the dividends of the CPA...

Here is a list of some women in power in southern Sudan/SPLM. This is just a short list...

	Dr. Anne Itto, SPLM Deputy Secretary  General Southern Sector. Formerly MP in the parliament in Khartoum. She was a member of the SPLM’s delegation to the Naivasha talks and advisor to the President of southern Sudan.
	Mrs. Jemma Nunu, newly appointed Governor of Western Equatoria State, Member of the SPLM Interim National Council
	Dr. Tabitha Boutros, GONU Minister of Health and Chairperson of the National AIDS Council. She's from the Nuba Mountains

View Map

Like a lot of frontier towns, Juba is one of the most expensive cities in Africa. US$100/night gets you a tent, and $200/night gets you the kind of room I had: a door that wouldn't lock; cold, brown water for the shower; frequent power outages; and more than a few creepy crawly friends including malarial mosquitoes. Like most of the "4-star" hotels in Juba, the Bilpam Star hotel runs its own three generators for power, and the generators break down frequently, and in some cases spectacularly. Yet in these very basic conditions, the connectivity was surprisingly good, though frustratingly intermittent.

Two routers - one at reception and one in the 'restaurant' - were directly connected to what appeared to be some sort of flat-plate microwave receiver (pictured), presumably linked to the main satellite dish in town, likely owned and operated by the United Nations. When the power was on - something that became increasingly rare as the week went on - the throughput was actually impressive, rivalling my high-speed DSL connection at home in the U.S. Through the frequent power outages the connection recovered quickly (within 10 seconds most of the time). I nearly drove myself crazy uploading a video I had shot in Juba to YouTube - at least a dozen times the video had nearly finished downloading when the power went out and then I had to start the upload again, waiting at least half an hour each time to upload a three-minute video (about 20MB file). If anyone knows of a resumable upload tool for YouTube, please comment with it.

On the cellphone side of connectivity, it's definitely a frontier town, with rival GSM networks competing for each other.

At the upper end of the market, Gemtel's SIM cards are the most expensive to buy, but their network offers the cheapest calls. 100 Sudanese pounds (US$50 at time of writing) will get you SIM card on the resale market. Gemtel has been sold out of new cards for months. Though the company is based in Uganda, their network is the most reliable for making calls inside the town of Juba itself, though their network is frequently overloaded and calls don't get through. Like many frontier operators, they are under scrutiny in the Juba press for somehow being granted access to Uganda's +256 country code rather than using Sudan's +249 code.

One alternative - which worked for me - is Mobitel (bought by the Dutch firm Celtel, which has a strong market position throughout the Great Lakes and Horn regions of Africa). Mobitel cards cost only 50 pounds (US$25) or 1,000 dinar. Mobitel partners with Uganda Telecom and thus is the best choice for making calls outside the country or receiving (free!) incoming international calls. The SIM cards and airtime scratch cards can only be purchased in Nairobi, though that's not a problem for the thousands of expatriates working in Juba as aid workers, donor representatives, UN personnel and even corporate types. The only weird thing is that when calling on Mobitel within Sudan it's a local call, but to reach a Mobitel number in Sudan from outside you dial Uganda's country code: +256. A friend gave me a Ugandan Celtel SIM card, which worked fine in my unlocked phone to receive calls. I was able to login to Skype online and set my U.S. SkypeIn number to forward to the Celtel cellphone and received several calls while I was in Sudan that were very clear. If you plan on spending longer than week in Sudan, though, it's best to buy Celtel phones and scratch cards in Nairobi.

Another alternative is the Khartoum-based Sudani, one of the few GSM providers in Southern Sudan that uses Sudan's +249 country code. Locals say Sudani's network is less overloaded than Mobitel and Gemtel, and is ideal for making calls within Sudan.

Unfortunately other reliable regional providers like Nairobi-based Safaricom and MTN-Uganda don't work at all in Southern Sudan. For now.

With so many choices - and trade-offs - the strategy most locals have adopted is either to buy a dual-SIM phone or simply to carry two or three phones with them to take advantage of each of the network's strengths (and as a backup in case one of the networks goes down). Others with deep wallets (namely the U.N. and a few military observers I met) also carry with them a satellite phone, and even list their "Thuraya" number (named after the main satphone provide) on their business cards. If you're outside the two or three major towns that have GSM towers, your only options for voice and data is either expensive satellite or finicky HF (High-Frequency) radio connections.

If you're visiting Southern Sudan soon hopefully this will help you be an informed consumer. Your tech world traveller...

Complaining about the heat in Juba these last few days, I was told there are t-shirts in the market with the text "Juba sukon, lakin top!" (Juba is hot, but it's nice).

Juba is filled with contradictions... you can love it in the morning and by the evening, you'd hate it so much you'd promise to go the airport in the morning and just fly out of this place... when you wake up the next day, the circle would start all over again!

 

 pics: driving to Juba and the presidents popular reception in Juba

Driving or being driven in Juba...
 If a car has seat belts, I make sure I put mine on whenever I am seated in a car. In Juba, driving or being driven can be scarely to say the least. If you are driving, you have to navigate the potholes, dodge the kids on motorbikes, give priority to the dogs and goats criss-crossing the road, mind the semi-blind and deaf pedallers, beware of SPLA trucks and stay on your side of the road.... When everyone does that simultanously, you can imagine how the traffic would flow!

Almost everyone I know who has had a car in the last 6 months or so has either hit something or was hit. In most cases, after an accident the drivers will get out and pick up a physical fight....

If you think this is nothing, try been riden on a 'senke' (motorbike).

Domestic Violence...
Very first week in Juba and our neighbour to the left has already been beaten 4 times. The first day I felt bad because I thought there was something I could do like call the police or something, but I did not want to look stupid again for suggesting or stating what I pressume is the ordinary or the obvious.

By the second day, I kinda came to the conclusion the woman wanted a good whopping. I swear to Jah she asked for it as she went on for hours pushing this poor guy's buttons. She was loud and every neighbour could hear her go on and on insulting her husband in ways that could only hurt best if said in Arabi-Juba and Bari language. The man was silent for the most of it, probably foaming with anger.... when he exploded, I don't know what happened but she was screaming and I don't know what...

The next day, I saw a women whose left side of the face was kinda thicker than the other and I guess it was her... I don't see her these days.. I believe the husband did not kill her, but I guess she has been sent back to her mums to get some manners and learn how to still have a big month and not get beaten because of it!

(by the way, I am opposed to violence against women)

Juba is expensive...
There is a place, a business center to be precies called Home and Away. It's so expensive! A glass of wine cost 20 SDPounds (10USD). A pakket of Benson (cigarettes) costs double the normal rate ie 10SDPounds. It's situation close to where most ministers and the big guys stay... an area in Juba called Hai Amarat. This place has been closed down because the ministers complain they can't sleep in the weekends when the disco happens...

Da Vinci (hotel, bar and resturant) and goats on my friends car

There are other places like Da Vinci, a very beautiful place close to the River Nile. A plate of Spagetti would cost you 54 SDPounds (that's 27 USD). Next time I'll scan the receipts and the excharge rate that day for you to believe...

The meeting, as is now customary in Southern Sudan, started with prayers. Our family head is a 'born again' Christian and he tries to convert the whole family whenever he gets the chance. Of course he opened the meeting asking someone "who has been touched by the Holy Spirit" to pray open the meeting with prayers. You should know that these Christians who call themselves 'born again' don't consider the other Christians, Catholics and Prostestians, as full Christians. I know I have been touched, but I'm not too sure if that was the Holy Spirit, so I did not volunteer to pray for the group.

Anyways, the meeting started 3 hours later than the agreed time, but it went well. When it was over, a brother of mine who I saw there for the first time in around 20 years requested to say something to the family members.

He did not stand up or anything, the group was not the big. Some years ago during the war, he fled Sudan through Darfur and ended up in some West African country where he spent 4 long and miserable years. Somehow, he relocated and went to Egypt where again he spent some 6 even longer years. He is now back home trying to pick up from where he can... and I have great admiration for him.

Okay, the post is about killing positive ideas...

This guy, of course still a new returnee, is full of positive ideas to help his country, his people, his family and his self. He told the gathered about a situation that he believes the family can help. One of our family sisters stays close to where he puts up and he is not at all pleased with the way our sister lives. She has two kids, a second wife to some jerk who beats her for a hobby. She does not live with the husband anymore but they are not really separated. The husband does not support her and she has to brew alcohol, which does not always get its market, to make ends meet. Sometimes she works at a local school where she cooks for the kids and gets 30 Sudanese Pounds per month (15 USD). She can not apply for other jobs with the government because she does not have the money to process her nationality card and birth certificate(!). Life, if you can call it that, is really hard for her. Yes, she is illiterate.

So, this new returnee asks the family members to help this sister to atleast get her papers and/or help her get a better paying job. Logical, right!

Before the guy could even end his appeal, some family members started asking very negative questions. The lady is already in deep shit, but they cared less... Some asked:
- why didn't she stay in the village with the husband? (dah.. the 3rd wife and husband beat her up everytime)
- what type of work can she even do?
- she does listen, we told her to leave that husband after the first kid. Now she has 3 and wants help?
- aahh.. there is nothing we can do to her, she better just go back to the village...

And so on! I was dumbfounded to listen all that negativity! Maybe the new returnee was even more shocked than I was. He did not say much after that. The rest just went on with listing all classic excuses of the impossible, killing this new returnee's positive ideas in the process.

When I sat in a bar some hours later downing some cold Henieken, I discussed with another older returnee and I came to believe that I was like that new returnee not too long ago. In Juba, or Sudan in general, you see things that you know can be improved. Most of the time you know how to improve the situation because you have seen it somewhere else. You'd want to help every begger in the street, ask every kid in the street why they are not going to school, give a lift to every sick person dragging themselve to the hospital, buy medicine for that mother who can not avoid and so on. Life can be very complicated!

In Juba, some people would think you are mad if you keep sharing positive ideas.

I still have to meet and talk to the new returnee and share notes. I will do want I can to help this sister, but I have also come to learn that there are those who want to be helped, and others who have given up. I'll keep you posted...

Hmm, I really can't point a finger on one specific issue... it's just that I don't get the ease, peace and time I used to have when I started this blog. And the internet speed is slow, my current workplace/office is not really comfortable and blah blah blah...

But I'll be back very soon, that's the good news. So, expect some pics, news and gossip from Juba... Maybe I should leave the gossip for the time being and just give you bits and pieces of what's hot and what's not around here!

(listening to victims by Lucky Dube...)

este hombre si existió no como el juba iraqi ese que no se sabe muy bien si verdadera mente existió o no... digo existió porque si lo hizo debe de estar muerto pues ya no se escucha hablar de el, quien sabe... lo que si se sabe es que estas leyendas urbanas de guerra minan mucho la moral de los soldados.

bueno pues aquí os dejo un relato de cebrian sobre este soldado finlandés que dio muerte a montones de soldados rusos en la guerra ruso-finesa.

[splashcast PKCN6438MC]

yo creo que lo del juba iraqi fue mas propagandistico que otra cosa para utilizarlo como guerra psicológica.

Aproveitei então a oportunidade (gente sem memória sofre...) e fiz a busca, no youtube e no google. No primeiro deles, assisti um vídeo legal pacas, adicionado ao youtube há menos de um mês, onde o Juba derruba bem uma dúzia de soldados do Tio Sam - cada um em situação e momento diferentes, logicamente.

No Big Broda eu encontrei páginas e páginas a respeito, mas nada muy concreto. Destaco um pequeno artigo postado no Observatório da Imprensa, onde o tio resume um pouco a situação, menciona um documentário feito a respeito do cara (vou procurar, é claro), e me deixa um pouco mais convicto de que o rolo do Juba não é uma invenção. =]

Veja o vídeo (antes que o youtube apague):

Tirinhas do Juba: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

(eu salvei o vídeo do youtube, avise-me se ele tiver sido retirado)

Today I was presented with two topics of opportunity that I painted an interesting dichotomy worth exploring a little deeper - that being the two sides of Islamic extremism. On one hand you have a scattered and angry movement that is lacking in any real focus but is intent on simply causing as much harm to "infidels" as possible. On the other hand, you have the focused, precise movement who seem to have somehow combined extremism and a more "noble" patriotic cause.

To start with, we can look at the "wild" side of extremism. This came across my desk in the form of "Azzam the American's"  (Adam Gadahn) latest little tirade against the "evils" of his former home. In his video, Gadahn calls for violence against President Bush as well as a release of all Muslims from American captivity "regardless of their crimes" under threat of jihad against the American people. He also makes statements about America being defeated . He specifically states:

"The first question Americans might ask is: has American really been defeated? The answer is yes and on all fronts."

To which I can not rightly figure out just what on earth he is talking about. How have we been defeated and just how does he define "defeat?" It is this sort of hollow rhetoric that bothers me about this end of the extremist spectrum. They don't make sense and they lack any real focus. Chaos and death seems to be the end goal and the justification for these things seems to be murky at best. This makes them dangerous and unpredictable as they are more driven by some sort of peculiar ideology more so than anything actually tangible.

On the other hand, there is an even more dangerous side out there; yet it is a side that I have a hard time condemning. Why? Because I am fiercely patriotic and I can see where these people are coming from. Don't get me wrong, I don't condone violence - especially against American troops - but I do not fear these Muslims because they are not the ones who advocate for random death and chaos, nor are they the people who would come here to carry out their "mission."

Who are these people? One of them is "Juba" the possibly mythical "Baghdad Sniper" who fights for his own people and land. In his own words:

"I am not a criminal…. I am not bloodthirsty…

I just defend our land you invaded…defend our children whom you stole their happiness and their right to live in peace."

It's difficult for me to condemn a statement like that despite the fact he is taking action against our troops. After all, I would gladly take up arms against anybody who were to invade my homeland. The difference is that I would not blur the line between patriotism and religion which is a fatal flaw in "Juba's" arguments. It is difficult to be taken seriously when you can't separate these things and it adds to the arduous task of trying to show the world that Islam isn't all about violence. After all, why not simply claim that you are fighting for your country? Patriotism is a far more understandable and respectable cause than jihad. If what "Juba" is claiming is true:

"If you came as visitors we would make you leave happily.

Yet, if you come as invaders, we will make your families pay for what you did to our families."

Then it puts him strides away from "Azzam the American" and his counterparts, yet they are both lumped together in the public eye because they share the [unfortunate] commonality of Islamic extremism.

Again, though, let me reiterate that I don't condone "Juba's" violence but I can't help but to respect the fact that he not only acts out of patriotism, but he is also not calling for general death and chaos towards America or the American people. He is focused in his mission.

So herein lies the challenge of dealing with, analyzing or even writing about Islamic extremism. How can we address something that has such a broad dichotomy to contend with? On one hand, I would say that few things would please me more than finding the approximate location of people like "Azzam" and dropping ordinance on them until they're below sea level and nothing but fine powder and ash. But where do you draw the line between people like that and people like "Juba?" Both fall under the "Islamic Extremist" tag, but they couldn't be further apart in ideology and focus. Do we hunt down "Juba" like any other militant Islamic extremist, or do we treat him with the same respect as another soldier?

These are things we need to think about before we lay down blanket condemnations. After all, I doubt that I am the only one who would take up arms against an invading force if it ever came to that in America... And I doubt I am the only one who would advocate for precise and calculated acts of "patriotism" vice chaotic violence and scattered ideology.

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After over-sleeping on the 1st of January (which I guess it is quite normal) came back to the deserted UNOCHA compound: no friends and loved ones around, having a horrible hangover and headache. In other words, it was not really the best beginning of the year. Usually I can deal easily with missing people, but now I found this feeling much harder to handle. The good news is that from here the only way is up. I guess.

When I was returning to the compound after the party, the car stereo was playing Christmas classics, such as "White Christmas". Being in a car with air conditioning (which by the way I hate), outside the Sun burning, red dust rising, tukuls and Christmas classics. It felt like a very strange paradox: being so much out of place that I actually fitting in like a piece of puzzle. The strangest feeling, so hard to describe. After some time the "fitting" feeling went away and the "being out of place" feeling stayed. Very, very bitter sweet.

Today got back to work, which is good since have a lot of things to do and at least I don't need to think about philosophical and existential issues:)

Friends and loved ones who are reading this: miss you a lot.

Very slick and very media savvy, the legitimate Iraqi Resistance releases its latest 'Juba the sniper' style video.

Baghdad sniper 3

http://www.baghdadsniper.net/en/index.htm

More USans and Brits need to see this to make them angry at how their governemnt sent the troops over there on a lie and are being picked off so easily. You control the telly, you control people (or more correctly,  enough to matter)

The USUK play a MASSIVE role in censoring footage like this for that very reason. They are also lie about the numbers of casualties as the IR spokesman says. I like to refer to this report as an example of how the US lies about its losses...

Title:  Where have all the young men gone?
http://www.the7thfire.com/Iraq_War/where_have_all_the_young_men_gone.htm

About US troops being buried in mass graves to avoid being recorded as a death. What a great way to treat the people you lies to and fight (for that lie) on your behalf, and of course, Reuters cameraman,  Mazen Dana, who discovered a mass grave dug by U.S. troops to conceal the bodies of their fellow comrades killed in Iraqi resistance attacks, and other graves shortly before the US shot and killed him.

The hight casualty rate in Iraq continues. Don't believe the lies. And of course the casulaty rates of Iraqi's who hever did a days harm to any USan eclipses all and any casualties of the invading hoards.

Hang Bush, Hang bLiar, Hang Azanr, Hang Little Jonnie Coward for theit filthy crimes.

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