Major Terry McDonald with children in Sudan (WN09-0040-098)
19 October 2009
by Major Terry McDonald
United Nations Mission in Sudan
‘The darkest thing about Africa has always been our ignorance of it.’
George Kimble – geographer
‘Reminds me of my time in Africa. Someone forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water’
W.C. Fields
Sudan, or more specifically, Khartoum, sounds an exotic location shrouded in mystery. It is at the confluence of the White and Blue Nile, making it strategically important within North Eastern Africa, and it has been the centre of much fighting since it was founded in 1821.
My initial perception of Khartoum before my deployment was romantic; a deep blue Nile River, sail boats fishing their daily quota and an easily accessible history. I also thought (having looked at Sudan on a map) that although a large country, ‘it’s not that big’. I soon found out it is about ten times the size of New Zealand, with swamps the size of the North Island.
Khartoum is the location of the Headquarters of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, or UNMIS, which has been in Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (or CPA) in 2005. This uneasy peace agreement was reached between the civil war factions of the central government in the Northern part of Sudan and the rebel movement based out of South Sudan.
The peace came at the end of the Second Sudanese Civil War, which saw fighting for 22 years, claiming approximately 1.9 million lives and displacing up to four million people. However, when people think of Sudan, their minds are generally drawn to the conflict in the Darfur, which is believed to have claimed up to 300,000 lives and displaced 2.5 million people. As a result, Sudan has the unenviable claim to fame of being the only country in the world with three UN missions running within it simultaneously. The sheer size of the human cost may be inconceivable to a Kiwi.
UNMIS is also the home of three New Zealand Defence Force Officers; one based at the military headquarters in Khartoum and two United Nations Military Observers (or UNMO’s) posted to remote team sites to monitor and verify the peace agreement. The NZDF commitment complements the wider NZ government approach, with MFAT (through NZAID) contributing over $16 million NZD to assist the UN to relieve the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region since 2004. The small NZDF military commitment serves to provide physical assistance to the significantly more destructive north –south conflict.
The most recent rotation into UNMIS arrived through August-September 2009 and has commenced its work. The two UNMO's (both Royal New Zealand Navy) have deployed to their remote team sites, one in Rumbek, the other at Bentiu. They have both integrated and taken lead roles within their respective team sites, demonstrating to the eclectic mix of nationalities within the UN that kiwis quickly adapt to new surrounds!
The small size of the contingent has also helped the three of us to bond us closely. Coupled with the isolation of the team sites and the immensity of the African continent, you realise how much you rely on each other – it is all about comradeship.
My role as a Military Planner within UNMIS Force Headquarters it has been an exceptionally rewarding one. The internal issues faced by the military here are no different than at home, however the external issues have been the most challenging - such as planning the support to the elections process within Sudan in early April 2010, and providing assistance and security to the annual migration of the MISSERYIA nomadic pastoralists through the agriculturalist tribal areas to name a couple. The ten thousand-strong military force of UNMIS has an extremely challenging mandate. As the J5, ensuring that they are able to meet the challenges ahead is one of the key aspects of my role.
I have been amazed at the ex-pat kiwi community in this part of the world. There are kiwis everywhere, which demonstrates how sought-after we are. It has been very useful to hear a recognisable accent, knowing that there are like-thinking and speaking people who will get down to business and solve the problems at hand. The catch cry from the South Pacific or South East Asia contingents of, ‘hey kiwi’ or ‘kia ora bro’ reminds you of how far New Zealand's culture extends.
On behalf of the current contingent, I would like to express our appreciation for the efforts of those in New Zealand who look after us. We maintain tenuous links via the internet and phone with news back home, and in particular, our thoughts go out to those affected by the recent events in Samoa, those who have deployed to assist with the recovery and those who made both that deployment and ours work so well.
Our intent is to leave a little bit of New Zealand here in Africa when we come home, improve what we can, where we can, and ensure that the good reputation that has been established by our predecessors remains intact, allowing kiwis to continue to be counted as ‘doers’ within UNMIS.
Ends