Arming South Sudan

There is a new report from Amnesty International accusing China, Ukraine and Russia of fueling conflict in South Sudan by arming both the army - the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) -  and the militia groups, the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA).

Amnesty says it has documented human rights violations by both these groups using brand new weapons, and asks that the countries listed above (and others) stop sending weapons to groups (or countries) that cannot guarantee the weapons will not be used to carry our human rights violations.

The SPLA has called the report "bias" and "unrealistic" of course.

Policy Brief on Female Police Staff Associations and Gender Sensitive Police Reform

The North-South Institute has a policy brief out on Female Staff Associations in West Africa and their contributions to Gender Sensitive Police Reform called Freedom Through Association: Realizing the Potential of West Africa's Female Police Staff Associations. 

Nairobi Eye - or Fly is the worst!

This ant is neither an Eye or a Fly. But it smears acid when you hit it, causing blisters and burns.

Pleasant.

I really thought I had a strange disease. Something off of house like amoeba of the brain.

Nope. Just an acid spewing ant.

What's in a name anyways?

My last flight up to Rumbek, I was placed on a milk run that had me stopping in Bor and Mabior in Jonglei State, before going to Rumbek. Lakes State.

One would assume a state of many lakes?

I had noticed on the ground a lack of visible, natural, bodies of water in the state, but it wasn't until I was airborne that I realised that every other state in South Sudan must have more visible bodies of water than Lakes State.

Also - this is not helping calm war rhetoric. 

My that's a big bag you have?

Do you really need that much stuff for one week?

I have heard this a lot in Juba. I went down for a week with my 70L backpack. Admittedly it was a bit too big of a bag coming down. But it was only 1/3 full. I'd brought it with a purpose. To bring back food. 

I'd made the fatale flaw of not booking extra cargo for food when I first moved up. (NB: I don't actually mean "food". I mean chocolate, cookies, nuts, gum, cheese etc.) I went to the grocery store, took note of what I needed to get and then figured I’d have people bring stuff up to me, or I could stock up later.

Wrong.

When I went back to find this.

Instead I got this.

Clearly I hadn’t learned from the Great Iraqi Diet Coke Shortage of 2008. Where foreign workers would drive to the borders of Turkey, Syria and Iran if they heard so much as a rumour that a shop owner had a spare flat of the silver bullet.

The rule is: If you see something you think could be a rare commodity… like Special K  - or in my case McVities Digestives – YOU BUY ALL OF THEM BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL COME BACK.

So I went to the store and bought everything. 

And that is why my bag is so big. 

How did I just learn about this?

What Should Africa Call Me? 

Aaaaaand the UN is threatening non-military sanctions... which I'm sure both sides are really concerned about, judging by the tank I saw loaded on a boat heading north at Juba Port.

Sanctionz. Vrrryyy Srrrrrrssssssss.

Eating my way through Juba

ZOMG I had ice cream, and chicken caesar salad, and thai food, and baguette, and a burger with avocado and bacon on it. I think I'll reach my goal of gaining 10lbs.

But other than the food, Juba is kind of an insane city full of awful prefab.

I kind of miss Rumbek?!

See you tomorrow cows!

oh ya. and this. #PissingContest