A day in the bush

Yesterday was the long-awaited field visit. This required some 6 hours in a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter, which took us from Juba to Western Equatoria State, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. It is a part of Sudan where the remnants of the Lord's Resistance Army, one of the most odious rebel groups in history, continues to operate. The LRA is no longer a rebel force capable of engaging an organized military. Instead, they prey on civilians, their main purpose being to secure their own survival. They steal food, mostly, but also people -- in particular children. It's how they replenish their ranks. They're almost impossible to catch, because they've broken into small groups, hiding easily within the vast forests of the DRC, from where they stage hit-and-run attacks on small villages.

Our first stop was the village of Ezo. There, we were met by the County Commissioner, a remarkable looking fellow dressed in a black suit, red tie, and purple-and-black straw cowboy hat with a big purple tassel. The hat was a mark of his station, presumably meant to lend an air of gravitas. It didn't quite get there, for me at least. He also carried an ebony and ivory scepter, which he placed on the table in front of him while speaking. These trappings reminded me that in many parts of Africa, the line between politician and hereditary chief is significantly blurred.

We then met with a group of internally displaced persons (IDPs). They had come from a variety of surrounding villages, most within about 30 km of Ezo. They were displaced by LRA attacks on their villages, and most had been in Ezo for a year or more. They felt relatively safe in the village, so long as they didn't try to cultivate anything. Any attempt to return to their fields resulted in killings and abductions. As a result, the IDPs are totally dependent on food aid from the UN. They live in straw shelters covered in UNHCR tarpaulin. They drink dirty water from a nearby stream. We asked the IDPs if they felt protected by the UN peacekeepers in the area. They found the question amusing. The security they rely on is the so-called Arrow Boys, a youth militia armed mainly with spears and arrows, who patrol the villages and look out for LRA. So far, the Arrow Boys haven't taken to preying on their own communities, though one wonders how long that will last, especially if local officials get their way and the Boys are armed with guns. I actually found a long metal spearhead in the dust in the IDP camp. I was sorely tempted to keep it, but it somehow felt like stealing.

After the IDPs, we went to visit the local camp of the UPDF, the Ugandan army. They have permission to operate in Sudan, CAR and the DRC, since the LRA originated in Uganda and the UPDF has the most experience dealing with them. It was an interesting chat. The camp was sheltered in a thick wood, lending cover to the deep green tents. The insects and birds were so loud that I could scarcely hear the Brigadier-General speaking. I gave up entirely when the air was shattered with a rattling roar unlike anything I've ever heard before, and an ancient biplane -- complete with painted eyes and shark's teeth -- shimmied overheard, having just taken off from the airstrip where our Mi-8 waited. The Brigadier-General grinned and said, "Where you come from, you see this one only in a museum, eh? Here you can see it in action!" You can definitely hear it in action, too.

Unfortunately, my second field visit, scheduled for tomorrow, has been cancelled. I'm disappointed, but on the plus side, my ass will thank me. Russian military helis are not designed for comfort.