Formalities when leaving djibouti are very smooth but it is hot again and we are just dripping in the plane. We are made aware again while this airport is so busy. Next to us they unload a big antonov transporter, while waiting for take-off, three mirage are landing and from up above we see the big military installations.
We climb to 24‘000 feet and cruise comfortably to addis ababa; almost our second home by now. Unfortunately the first fuel truck does not have the right equipment for our small plane; so we have to wait again for libya oil. After an hour we climb high again and are cruising to khartoum.
When we touch down there, it is 45 degrees again. Quite hot but at least dry. The airport is actually quite busy with a lot of planes; some of them very strange. We drive through the city to our hotel at the banks of the nile: burj al-fateh hotel. Actually very nice; sure belongs to arabs.
After a late sandwich lunch, we hire a cab and do some sightseeing. The biggest thing to see here is where the blue and white nile come together. There is actually a fun park there. We buy 3 tickets to enter the park. It‘s like being back 30 years; except that everything is falling apart. Even the pavements look like they are pre-world war ii. There are still many people picnicking on the shabby lawn. Women in one group, men in another on the other side. It‘s like being in a bad movie; the coney island of khartoum!
We decide to skip the local market and go back to the hotel. Very high speed internet which means go on skype, write some mails and update the webpage.
Sudan is constantly in the news because of the darfur conflict. It dates back to 1999, when president bashir dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and imposed a three-month state of emergency; all as part of an internal power struggle with al-turahi, fundamentalist leader of the national islamic front, the man with the real power. In 2003 black african rebels in he western darfur region rose up against the government they accused of oppression and neglect. The army‘s heavy-handed response, assisted by pro-government arab militias (the janjaweed), escalated to what many have called genocide. The government‘s scorched-earth campaign killed some 200‘000 sudanese and uprooted millions more.
By the middle of 2006 sudan was at a cross-roads. While a darfuri peace accord with some rebel factions was signed in may, the killing got worse an al-bashir, fearing they will arrest people on war-crimes charges, has refused to allow un peacekeepers to replace the small and ineffective african union force. Meanwhile foot-dragging on the implementation of key elements of the peace agreement threatens to derail the peace in the south.
In the hotel, we want to take advantage of the 20% discount that is offered at the grill restaurant, 7 days a week. Unfortunately it is closed today – actually looks never really open. So we have dinner at the asian rooftop restaurant. No alcohol today, or tomorrow, or next week, or…; sharia. But we empty their cellar anyway: no more perrier at the end of our dinner. The philippine waitress‘ who work here don‘t seem to unhappy when they can return after a few months.
Since the entertainment part of the hotel is rather limited, we decide for an early night sleep.
