This guy. More pictures.

The agencies we fly for that work in these regions are providing basic health care and also distributing WFP food to the refugees that have come across the border from North Sudan as their government bombs them and systematically starves them by refusing to allow aid organizations in to help them.

US foreign policy on Sudan, like most of our foreign policy in Africa, is abysmal. We have no coherent agenda and just throw money at various, even conflicting initiatives. A stark example is the runway in Kurmuk, where we funded the UNOPS project that proudly touts: “As implementing partner for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kurmuk, Blue Nile State, UNOPS has rehabilitated an all-weather airstrip and a seven kilometre access road and constructed an airport terminal and warehouse.” The only problem is that that project was completed mere months before Blue Nile (the state Kurmuk is located in) went back to being part of Northern Sudan, which is what anyone who watches Sudan knew would happen. Therefore, US taxpayers funded a multi-million dollar project to effectively build an airforce base for SAF that can now be used to park and launch the very same Antonovs and MiGs that bomb the south.

The more I see of how the world tries to ‘help’ Africa through various government-sponsored aid and development programs, the more I wish they would find other ways to sooth their conscience and just go away.

Day 1: Loki – Doro – Thiangrial – Pieri – Loki

Day 2: Loki – Boma – Juba – Loki – Rumbek – Tonj

Day 3: Tonj - Rumbek – Loki

Day 4: Loki – Akot – Rumbek – Torit – Loki – Wilson

{Got violently ill on the way home from Loki on Day 4. Thank heavens that flight was two-crew}