Canada Day in El Fasher......

Even though it was a quiet Canada Day in El Fasher we did try to make the best of it.   I would have loved to have flown to Juba (South Sudan) to spend Canada Day with the UNMIS crew as they were also having their Canadian Contingent Medal Parade but it was not in the cards.  I have to extend a thank you to our Canadian Forces as they did not forget that Canada Day is very important for the men/women serving in overseas missions and allowed us to put on a Canada Day dinner for our friends and co-workers.  Our Canadian Military counterpart, Peter, organized a dinner at one of the local restaurants that cater to the UNAMID staff.  From the pictures I have attached you will see that we were able to proudly fly the Canadian colours.  The day before the event I invited the Police Commissioner to attend and I really did not think he would show up as it was last minute and he has a very busy schedule……was I ever surprised when he showed up right at 1600hrs with his Protection Force and all the big names in UNAMID.  We were thrown off guard by their arrival and it was funny because we kept the dinner very casual.  We had the dinner outside and when the PC and all his guests sat down to eat a mini haboub rolled in and covered all the food with sand and dust.  I have to say it was priceless and for us Canadians it would have been a rain storm if we were back at home.  Thankfully the haboub did not last long and we could get back to eating dinner.  We also had the restaurant make us a Canada Day cake which was rather tasty.…..from the photos you can see it was more of a pink flag then a red one but again if we flew the Canada flag in this crazy hot weather it would have probably faded to the colour of our cake. 

The dinner celebration only lasted a few hours as we had to make our way back to Zam Zam.  We were able to borrow a mini bus so we could go home a little later than normal.  In this mission our 4x4 vehicles have to be inside our compounds before a certain time as they are susceptible to being carjacked. The 4x4s are a huge commodity for the different movements/militia here in Darfur.  I guess they are not very interested in the minibuses as they are not very versatile in these conditions.  I don’t blame them……we made it back to Zam Zam but ended up getting stuck in the sand just inside our compound (thankfully it did not happen outside)………as usual our Rwandan soldier friends came to our rescue.  I felt bad as we interrupted them as they were having their farewell party.  They have completed their mission and have returned to Rwanda after one year without any leave (I am not sure I would have been able to handle that).  I know this mission was difficult for many of them and to be away from their families for such a long time without any time off is tough on the mind and body.   The Rwandans treated us so well and made us feel very safe and secure within our camp.

Now we are welcoming a new group of Rwandan soldiers into Zam Zam.  It is taking them a bit of time to figure out who these crazy Canadians are that smile and wave at them all the time but they are coming around.  In the next couple of weeks I bet I will have a new group of running partners.

Happy Canada Day from my Canadian counterpart that keeps me company at my desk.

As you can see we were flying the Canadian colours thanks to our Canadian Forces.



The Canadian UNAMID Team:  Pete Cooper (CF), Jack Templeton (OPP) and me



Having a little fun while cutting the cake.



The children were fascinated with the Canada flags.

Here I am with my friends Annette (Norway) and Saidybah (Gambia)



My new little buddy.

And his older brother

This is my co-worker Saeed.  I always bug him and call him the John Travolta of Pakistan.

Peter attempting to push Jack out of the sand back at Zam Zam.  What a way to end the day!