SITREP 25 & 26

GENERAL SITUATION:

With the signing of the Sudan Mandate in the Security Council the UN has moved from nearly inert to merely sluggish.

If nothing else it has generated more visitations, deputations and disruptions of operations. The UN exponentially outdoes

even the Pentagon in the production of jargon, acronyms and abbreviations. Be prepared to update your glossaries!

SECTOR 3:

Sector 3 is now officially yclept Sector Central East. I cling to the old terminology in the name of brevity and unwillingness

to replace one perfectly good name with a newer and more complicated one to satisfy the dictates of bureaucratic foolishness. Possibly

also pigheadedness?

27 MAR 05 saw a visit from the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG; see what I meant about bureaucratic drivel?).

The UN Force Commander (UNFC), a Bangladeshi Major General who visited us once before, made a point of

looking me up to discuss any suggestions I might have re operations. While His Excellency (that’s right, that’s how the

SRSG is addressed) was getting the full briefing and village visit to Um Serdiba ‘dog & pony show‘ by Andrew, I was

able to recommend to MG Akhbar the use of Mercedes Unimog trucks as a cost effective alternative to the brutal expense

of helicopter operations during the rainy season. I also took pains to ensure that he was aware of just how strong the

antipathy to the proposed Egyptian Force Protection unit is, and will continue to be, in the Nuba. I believe that it was a

worthwhile conversation. I also have a hunch that I was recommended as a resource by a British Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)

on his staff with whom I spoke fairly extensively about operational realities in the AO during the FC’s first visit.

On 30 MAR 05 I revisited Karkaria (SITREP 24), Andulo and Rigifi. I am happy to report that all is once again quiet

on that front. The presence of an additional 21 armed policemen has had a calming effect on Karkaria. Andulo reported no problems,

and Rigifi, itself once one our worst hotspots, seems positively soporific. Sheik Suleiman and the acting GOS Police Chief report that the

few problems they have had in Rigifi have been dealt with at village level. They also reported that a provocateur with alleged SPLM

connections had tried to inflame the village to throw out the GOS Police as he claimed that the citizens of Karkaria had done, but that this

problem was also handled locally. The presence of the head of the expanded GOS Police who accompanied us, coupled with our SPLA

Monitor telling them that not only had the Karkaria force moved no more than a quarter of a mile from its former site, but that it had also

been reinforced five fold , should put the story of the GOS Police having been evicted from Karkaria to rest once and for all.

Yesterday I visited the villages of Al Nugra and Al Atmour to ensure that all is still peaceful after the severe beating of two Moro men

by Shanabla / Hameri nomads (SITREP 23), and the retaliatory shootings (not fatal) of two Shanabla men later that day. Speedy and

effective

actions taken by the local SPLA Battalion Commander on the Al Nugra side, and the equally effective actions taken by the local GOS

garrison commander in Al Atmour on the other, prevented a potentially explosive situation from escalating.

The GOS village of Al Atmour has been remarkably calm during my tenure in the sector. This village is comprised of Arab, Moro and

Bagara nomads. These tribes with disparate cultures have learned to live in harmony despite their ethnic differences. In addition, the

eastern edge of their area abuts the lands of the SPLM villages of Al Nugra and Tobolu which have resident SPLA contingents.

The team presented an explanation of the provisions of the CPA to the assembled sheiks, elders and a number of interested citizens

in Al Atmour. The only requests we got were for another well, staffing and medications for their clinic, and more educational facilities

and teachers for the village children. A day such as yesterday makes up for a lot of Karkarias and Um Serdibas.

We have told The Um Serdiba Police Chief that the war is over and he must reclaim his village from the criminal elements that are

starting to operate far too freely there. Needless to say, the Dreaded Serir Double, whose name and misdeeds are not unknown to

SITREP readers, is involved in the latest problems. I was able to make the Chief of the Kadugli State Police aware of the situation,

as we both happened to be at Tillo JMC HQ yesterday afternoon. There will probably be more on this situation as and when a

denouement is reached.

Our good friend and colleague, MAJ Lorenzo Guani, departed for His home in Italy at his End of Mission (EOM) yesterday. His hard work

and good humor wiil be missed by his friends in the JMC.

Andrew has been filling in well for Rainer while Rainer is on leave. He has taken advantage of a very slight lull in operations to catch

everyone up on various aspects of training that required review; carried out operations himself; and prepared for and conducted various

operational debriefings and VIP briefings. Walter, our new South African medic, has jumped right into the thick of things. He has been

going out on patrols and providing some excellent training for everyone. I am still going out on operations and functioning as Camp

Commandant as well. · MICHAEL’S WORLD:

After sixty four years of assiduously avoiding administration and logistics, I decided that I needed to be able to swim in these waters

at something exceeding a feeble dog paddle. I volunteered for, and am now settled into, my secondary job of Camp Commandant

(the one in charge of sector ad / log.) This is normally performed by PAE employees hired specifically for the task. By honing my

superb organizational skills to an even higher level, retaining my wonted humility, good humor and work ethic, and avoiding the fleshpots

and video game arcades in Um Serdiba (not difficult, as there is none of either), I am keeping up with both jobs.

Getting down to thirty days until leave. And that’s it for this week from the Sudan. Michael

SITREP 26 08 APR 05 · GENERAL SITUATION:

The Sudanese Government is absolutely ballistic about the passage of UNSC Resolution 1593. They are chest pounding, delaying

visas at all levels and threatening all manner of retribution. 1593, of course, is the resolution decreeing war crimes trials and

investigations as a result of the alleged genocide and other violations of just about all the rules of land warfare. If the UN and its

international supporters can produce no more effective action than that taken in the case of Slobodan Milosovic and his Serbian

thugs, GOS and its criminal supporters in Darfur should have little to fear in the way of justice or retribution being meted out to them.

There has been a spate of ’tribal gatherings’ all over the SPLM areas of late. They seem to be trying to mobilize, organize and politicize.

The goal seems to be the political takeover of the former DMZ areas, still under the administration and police control of the GOS.

The events that transpired in Karkaria a few weeks ago (SITREPs 23 &24) are a good example of this activity. Prompt action by the

JMC and GOS Police, combined with the common sense and courageous actions of the Headmaster and parent-teacher council of the

local school, ensured that that situation remained under control. The GOS, up to this time the far better organized of the two factions in

our AO, seems to be a bit behind the curve all of a sudden. They certainly do not seem to have any proactive plan to cope with, much less

get ahead of, the ever increasing number of SPLM/A provocateurs who are going around to these villages with their messages of a

better world without the GOS. · SECTOR 3 OPERATIONS:

Things have been relatively quiet here in Sector 3 this week. Two visits, one VIP and one journalist, and a required three day orientation

course at Tillo HQ which almost every one of was required to take effectively quashed most operations.

One thing that I would like to mention here is that the National Monitors have taken on a much more responsible management role of late.

Our mission is changing from one whose primary role was that of military inspections to one of facilitating expanding civilian and police

interaction and cooperation. The National Monitors are frequently going out on their own to lay the ground work for village level cross

line meetings in some of our more chronically troublesome areas. We hope to hold the first of these meetings right here in Um Serdiba

shortly. This was a good first test for the National Monitors, as the GOS Omda and the SPLM Sheik in this mixed village would not even

sit down together to discuss problems. I believe it’s called being thrown into the deep end of the pool. In this case, however, the lifeguards

were only five or ten minutes away if needed.

We are trying to get it through everyone’s head that JMC operations will shut down for good in mid June. There is no reason to

assume that the UN components who will replace us will piggyback on the successful almost three and one half years of peacekeeping

provided by JMC. Although some UN operational elements have seen and appreciated the effectiveness of the JMC methods, the

bureaucracy that runs the UN is already stonewalling and has repeatedly ’misplaced’ job applications from experienced JMC operators who

wish to join the UN mission. I suppose they do not wish to risk tarnishing an unblemished record of failure by bringing in subversives who

might introduce success. · MICHAEL’S WORLD:

I must admit to having been fairly well laid low, off and on, from Saturday night until Wednesday by a Malaise of Unknown Origin.

Although the symptoms strongly resembled Malaria, all tests proved negative. Also, there have been no mosquitoes anywhere in the area

for almost six months. A temp of 103.3 Monday evening definitely got the medics’ attention. I’m just about back to normal, so please

remember when you say your prayers to request no relapses for Michael! Practitioners of Wican and other off the wall forms of worship

may get naked at midnight and hug trees (or whatever it is that you do), but please make the same request. Keep well yourselves, and that’s

it forthis week from the Sudan. Michael