Thursday, 5 August

The month is off to a quick start thanks to the United Nations holiday on Monday. I am thinking about some more places to visit - my visit to the mountains has inspired me. However, there are not so many places that are safe to visit. Even when I got back to work on Tuesday, there were unconfirmed reports that rebel soldiers were on their way towards that village. There was also some fighting between the village that I visited and here where I work. We are keeping a close watch on the movement of troops in the area. Beni is a rich town and a likely target for a rebel attack.

Wednesday, 4 August

This morning we ran out of water again - one of the people that looks after things like that at our house forgot to turn a tap off! So no cold showers for me until Friday.
At work I attended a meeting with the Vice-Governor of the province to talk about corruption. The UN in congo has just received a new mandate with a focus on stopping transnational arms trafficking - this is one source of unstability in the country.

Tuesday, 3 August

Back in my office for a short week. A lot of people are away on holiday at the moment, so the place is quiet.
After my weekend away I feel good and have some new ideas for my work. They are planning elections in 11 months, however we have not made much contact with the political parties - so this is one aim. I also feel that there is not much cooperation between the different offices of the UN in Congo - especially between the civilian and military staff. So I will work on this too. A lot of time seems to be wasted on internal differences between the various staff.

Here in Congo there is no postal service, so e-mail is the only way to send/receive anything to the outside world. We also have a good telephone network - I can call anywhere in the World for $0.10/min - although I am still waiting for my account to be set up. Also you can call me - Via Italy on +39 0831242899 - Via New York on +1 212 963 0103 Extn.2899 - In Congo on +243 818985970

Monday, 2 August

Cow & helicopter.

Today is a holiday - however, I am returning to Beni early because of the unreliable helicopter service. It was good to spend some time away and in a cooler climate - they even have cows in Lubero! I hope to go again soon - when I have time to spare. It is only 45 minutes away from Beni, so it is a good weekend destination.

Sunday, 1 August

It is already August - it seems that the year is going very quickly, even here in Congo - and only 30 days until my holiday.
Today I went walking again and met more local people. I also went to meet some local officials with the head of the UN office in Lubero. There is no local political officer, so it was good to see what is happening there. In the evening I went to a small bar in the town. We sat outside around a fire wearing warm clothes - not typical for Central Africa!

Saturday, 31 July

House near Lubero.

I woke up late today – just in time to read my book before lunch. I am reading ‘The Secret Sharer’ by Joseph Conrad – the author of Heart of Darkness. I met several people who are studying at the monastery. The people I spoke to were either studying theology or agriculture. There is also a school at the monastery for children.
In the afternoon I was collected from the monastery by Colonel Igor – a serious Ukrainian soldier who works in Lubero as a Military Observer (usually called MILOBS) with the UN. He took me as far as a farm where I bought some local cheese. The farm is run by a Congolese-American family. I spent some time here talking about the political situation. People here are worried that the UN is leaving the town – the military force has already been reduced to half. I walked for several kilometres into the town centre and to the UN office, where I met the local head of office. The walk was nice and I spoke to several locals and took a few photographs. I had a quiet evening reading, eating and typing up my journal…

Friday, 30 July

Equator from the air.

This weekend is longer than normal. We have Monday off as it is a national holiday – Parent’s Day. I decided to return to Lubero to spend the weekend in a cooler climate and to eat good food. I booked my flights and headed off to the airfield. When the helicopter arrived from Bunia, I was pleased to see a familiar face. Major Vladimir Starkov – the Russian Air Operations officer – one of the many Russians I stayed with on Tuesday. We flew on to Lubero - during the flight I got this photo of the equator - not much to look at! When I arrived, I returned to Mulo monastery and a big dinner…