In the footpaths of a Rwandan peacekeeper

As the people of Southern Sudan go to the polls today, in a referendum to determine whether to secede or remain part of the Sudan, The New Times’ James Karuhanga tells in this two-part narrative of his seven-day [December 7-14] experience, as he journeyed by road and air through the mainly Arabic north of the largest country in Africa. Sudan which was ruled jointly by Britain and Egypt until independence in 1956 has been in a state of civil war intermingled with several uneasy truces and ceasefires.

A still intensely unpredictable security situation in the country’s western region – Darfur, has drawn in four battalions of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) peacekeepers under the AU-UN hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The unresolved spat in south Sudan which begun with the civil war in the 1980s keeps a Rwandan contingent of 254 in the capital Khartoum, on a daily alert, under the mandate of the UN Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS). What's more, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) has 218 and 37 police advisers, serving under UNAMID and UNMIS, respectively.

From Khartoum to the western region of Darfur, Karuhanga gives anecdotes of life in Sudan, and tries to give a clear-headed account of the Rwandan peacekeepers’ life, particularly in Darfur, and how they are "doing a tremendous job” as successful ambassadors – contributing to the good image of Rwanda, through sheer distinctive RDF valour and selflessness.

Day One: A long drowsy Tuesday 

My journey started at 02:00 hours in the morning of December 7, 2010, from Kimironko, where I live. I rushed to join three other Rwandan journalists, and two government officials, at Kigali International Airport, for my first expedition to the Republic of the Sudan. We would first fly to Nairobi, Kenya, and then connect to Khartoum later in the evening.

The centre of attention in my first trip to Khartoum, and Sudan’s war torn western Darfur region, where Rwandan troops are serving as peacekeepers as well as police advisors, in the vast conflict weighed down country.
I had until that time filed numerous stories on Rwandan troops, especially as they left Kigali for the UN missions in Sudan, but I did not really have one inkling of what goes on there after, or about the country. What I once held in my mind's eye about Sudan and what Rwandan soldiers endure, as I realized, was unmistakably off beam.

First glimpse of Khartoum 

My discoveries begun at night shortly after our KQ 320 flight smoothly touched down at Khartoum International Airport. Recalling a dreadfull suffocating heat wave that hit my face and engulfed my entire body at Kinshasa’s N’djili International Airport, in mid 2009, I was primed to face even worse conditions in this desert country, but the air outside the aircraft was startlingly chilly. It was winter in Sudan.

Daily temperatures were oscillating between 28 and 38 degrees Celsius. I was duly enlightened, later, about our good fortune since, as we were told, other times of the year are terrifying to a first-time-visitor. Average May-through-August temperatures, I was informed, reach 53 degrees Celsius. Not heartening.

There were more surprises. At the airport, I unsuccessfully fought an urge to stare at almost everything in my new intriguing setting. I particularly didn’t like the repulsive scenes of well clad locals, spitting n’importe ou, without a care. I thought it was a bad omen. I was not wrong.
Regrettably, we had not sent a list of our equipment, in advance, to the Sudanese airport police and customs. Consequently, my already weary group had to endure a rather gruelling roughly three-hour wait trying to plead with police and customs not to confiscate a colleague’s video camera.

The camera was returned the next day, on condition that we show it again 12 hours before leaving the country, so that authorities there could be reassured that the equipment was not left in the country.

I still think that Khartoum has an unrivalled camera phobia.
We left behind 300 US dollars which would be returned only if we abided by the terms of the deal. As if the money was, really, an issue.

An Arabic speaking member of the Rwandan UNMIS contingent in Khartoum who had come to ‘our rescue’ later passed on bothersome, but important counsel. Do not attempt to take pictures, even with your mobile phones, while in Khartoum. You can only do so, with prior permission from relevant authorities. Otherwise, the penalty is a pitiless sentence, if caught in the act, he nicely, but firmly warned as he drove us to Shamlo 1 Hotel, in the Altayeif area of Khartoum where we were booked for the night.

Day 2: Tales of Rwandan peacekeeper’s valor, selflessness 

Dedicated, hard working and very generous people
I woke up very early on this Wednesday morning, but justifiably, grudgingly. We had to register with the UN and process necessary accreditation documents prior to touring the UNMIS base.

After a hasty breakfast, we headed for the Rwandan UNMIS Contingent Headquarters, in town. There, Lt. Col. William Kayitare, the commander, briefed us on his contingent’s activities and mandate.

UNMIS deploys a multinational Peace Support Force (PSF) in order to assist and support the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement /Army (SPLM/A) in the implementation and execution of the terms as established in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in Nairobi, in order to achieve a peaceful referendum come January 9.
The strategic end state of UNMIS, the Colonel noted, is a stable Sudan capable of conducting separate peaceful referenda in South Sudan and Abyei region. Also critical is the provision for a stable environment in Southern Kordofan/Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile State to allow the peoples of those States, through consultation, to arrive at an agreement that will be the final settlement of the political conflict in their State.

Rwanda has 254 troops deployed in Khartoum under UNMIS.

They protect the mission’s headquarters, key UN personnel and are prepared to provide "a 24/7 Quick Reaction Force”, and administrative and logistical support to UNMIS; as well as medical and administrative support.

The first Rwandan contingent to UNMIS was deployed in November 2005.

They provide security to the UNMIS Radio Station – Radio Miraya, and also conduct irregular vehicle patrols to UNMIS Key Personnel’s Residence and UN Agencies in Khartoum.
They have to endure unpleasant weather conditions and, must always be alert given the unpredictable security situation in the wake of the upcoming referendum. These challenges make this a tough job, especially with tensions rising as the referendum fast approaches. But the peacekeepers soldier on – "carrying out the mandate tasks,” noted Lt. Col. Kayitare.

He said his troops are "alert and ready to deal with any security uncertainties.”

A tour of the premises that host the Rwandan contingent within the fortified UNMIS compound provided a first glimpse into the daily life of a Rwandan soldier in Khartoum. We were shown around their tidy sleeping quarters, well equipped clinics, stocked kitchen and operations room. An aura of efficient neatness and organization hung everywhere.

Even for a haircut and a perfect shave, the soldiers have their own in-camp salon, with colleagues doing the job themselves.

Lunch with them, later, was like a special feast, although I learnt that the nutritious carte du jour was regular. The UN provides the best for its missions.  I continue to particularly miss the fruits, chicken and plentiful fresh milk. 

Tremendous job done depicting Rwanda’s right image
A noontime visit to Rwanda’s ‘diplomatic Antenna’, as it is called, in Khartoum heightened my curiosity. Joseph Rutabana, the head of Rwanda’s diplomatic mission, told us that Rwandan peacekeepers are outstandingly portraying the true image of Rwanda. But how?

"The job they do, and the way they do it, shows how Rwanda conducts its business and politics. Our troops are known to be very highly disciplined, they are known to be highly professional – they are also known to respect the host country, respecting the people of Sudan, respecting their culture and values,” Rutabana said.

Normally, he noted, diplomacy is done by diplomats whose main objective is to show the image of their countries, but with more than 3,500 troops, [in addition to many other police officers deployed in Sudan, Rwanda has more diplomats. He believes that the job done by Rwandan troops is one that, maybe, "our diplomacy could have done in so many years.”

My determined search for a Sudanese voice to corroborate, or contradict, this accomplished something when we visited the offices of UNMIS’s Radio Miraya. 
Sudanese journalists working at Radio Miraya were visibly thrilled when we were introduced.

Gabriel Shadar, a senior reporter, was emphatic when noting that Rwandan troops are "friendly, and very professional.”

"Very professional for me means that you find them very alert, very timely – they are smartly dressed and very respectful – they create friendships – they try to learn the local language. They are always welcome here.”
"We have never heard of any complaints about the Rwandans and this is something to remark,” Mr. Shadar stressed.

Message of unity: a very great lesson, inspiration

Given Rwanda’s heartrending past, "with that horrible genocide of the 1990s,” Shadar declared that, "you can hardly believe that this [Rwandan contingent in UNMIS] is the product of that country, and it totally changes our perspective of Rwanda.”

"This is giving a very different image of the Rwandan people – a lot of people are surprised to see that these are Rwandans – so professional and highly trained.”

His colleague, John Wani, also a south Sudanese, particularly stressed that his greatest lesson, and inspiration, was the Rwandan troops’ ‘message of unity.’
"We found them dedicated and hard working people, and very generous. And one thing I learn from them – you see, whenever I asked a Rwandan soldier, ‘from which tribe are you – Hutu or Tutsi?’ they said ‘no, I am Rwandan.’ I think this is a very great lesson, even for us in southern Sudan.”
"I think this is the highest point, or the highest lesson, I got from the Rwandan soldiers.”

On my way out of the Radio Miraya compound, my mind drifted back in time to Navanethem Pillay’s report and its disquieting allegation – Rwandan troops could have committed Genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the 1990s.

I wonder how she would respond to Shadar and Wani, and many like them, who only had warm words about Rwandan troops.

Late in the evening, we returned to the hotel, anticipating an even longer day ahead. My initial peep at Khartoum had left a mark. Khartoum, and in fact all Northern Sudan, is predominantly Muslim and strict Sharia law applies. Local customs and sensitivities must be respected. Nonetheless, even if we were not allowed to take pictures, crime-wise, Khartoum is a very safe city.

Day 3: Super Camp, El Fasher, Darfur

By now, my day seemed to end very late, with the next starting exasperatingly very early. But once we started moving, I enjoyed every bit of it.  

We woke up before the crack of dawn because the UN flight to El Fasher airport was to take off at 07:30 am. Later, during the nearly two-hour flight, I was filled with a strong sense of foreboding and sympathy for the souls who call the vast desert beneath, their home.

I couldn’t help but wonder – is this where the daughters and sons of Rwanda come to keep peace? Or, how is peace kept in a region where absolute desert and desert dunes are the predominant signs of vegetation cover?

Not many tarmac roads are visible and there are limited man-made features. Half of the population is believed to be homeless due to the ongoing conflict.

After about two hours in the air, we landed at El Fasher airport. A Rwandan UNAMID team from RWANBATT 25 took us to their base – Super Camp, the Headquarters of UNAMID, where the Force Commander – Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba, a Rwandan, resides and works.

At Super Camp, the Commander of RWANBATT 25, Col. Emmanuel Karemera, warmly received us and personally showed us to our quarters – a neat rectangular prefab structure with room enough for two tiny shower rooms. There was a small single bed and an inviting green sleeping bag, for each of us.

As soon as we settled in – I changed my comfy sandals for a pair of ‘appropriate’ shoes and headed to a briefing session with the amiable Colonel and members of his senior staff who were not on duty.

Col. Karemera and his team took us through the UNAMID mandate, the security situation in Darfur, civil-military activities, and RWANBATT 25’s tasks.

RWANBATT 25, among other things, has to ensure a secure environment for the ease of humanitarian assistance delivery, and protect civilians.

(To be continued )