Arrival in Sudan!

I finally crossed the border into Sudan on Saturday afternoon at about 6:00 pm. Four of us heading to Torit flew from Nairobi to Lokichoggio on the border in the mid-afternoon. We regrouped briefly at the Diocese of Torit compound in Loki before heading on into Sudan. We cleared the lonely sheds that make up the Kenyan immigration and customs station on the outskirts of Loki, and crossed the 30 km of disputed no-man’s land with the assistance of a police escort, all without difficulty. We arrived at the Sudanese border just as it was closing, and had a little bit of difficulty with the authorities there. The immigration official, probably a former SPLA (Sudanese People’s Liberation Army) soldier, was unhappy with the travel permit I had received from the Southern Sudanese mission in Nairobi. The new government in Southern Sudan still has a way to go in integrating and coordinating its various components. The right hand of the official was missing; his arm ended in a stump, which led me to wonder what kind of experiences he had gone through in the war. We tried to be as deferential and pleasant as possible, and in the end were allowed to continue on our way. Again, we made a brief stopover at the diocesan compound in Narus (where the photo at right was taken) to inquire as to the status of the roads, and continued on our journey at about 7:00 pm.

Fr. Martin Vuni, program coordinator for the diocese, suggested, and I heartily concurred, that we try to make the journey all the way to Torit in one straight shot, even though that meant traveling into the night. We made one last stop at the diocesan hospital in Kapoeta, where one of our vehicles and passengers departed, got a bite to eat at the restaurant at the crossroads, and continued on our way at about 9:00 pm. I was surprised by the number of other vehicles we encountered on the road at that time (perhaps twenty or so), especially large trucks and tractor trailers. Apparently they prefer traveling at night to avoid the intense heat of day. We drove continuously for three hours, spotting African nocturnal wildlife from time to time. For about two thirds of the way the road was in pretty good condition. There was a stretch, though, when the going was rough and slow, with the vehicle pitching from left to right as we rode over portions of the road torn up by rain and heavy vehicles. The rain had been a while ago, though, and our trip was very dry and dusty. My entire habit and all of our luggage was covered with dust by the time we arrived in Torit at about 1:00 am. There is not a patch of pavement on any of the roads between the border and Juba, capital of Southern Sudan.

For the time being I’m being housed at the same place in I stayed when I visited in June. Only this time I have a room in the newly completed residence building for the administrative staff of the diocese. There are about a dozen people living in the two buildings and five tents in the compound. Yesterday was a quiet day with a slow start, in which I was able to briefly see the bishop and organize my things. It is extremely hot in Torit right now, much warmer than Nairobi, and my body is going through the shock of a dramatic climate change. I was reminded of that different climate again last night as I shared my breviary with a multitude of insects attracted by my flashlight, praying the Office after the generator had been shut out. I ended the evening praying the Rosary under the amazingly clear, moonless starlit night. There’s only a little light pollution from the UN compound to the east nearby. In the other directions you can see the stars right down to the horizon, and the Milky Way is so much brighter than almost anywhere in the US.