One evening in Khartoum

Tea with Nada, Mona and Rheem

If arriving in Khartoum had a surreal feeling, leaving again was bittersweet. 

It’s been almost a month since I first landed in this bustling, sprawling, incoherent maze of a city just before dawn. 

During that time I have lucky enough to meet a lovely group of local people who have sat with me over endless cups of tea, sharing wonderful insights that have helped me navigate life in Sudan so far.

On our last night in Khartoum (for awhile), fellow volunteer Robert - was also leaving the following day for his placement in Delgo - and I joined a mutual group of friends at a popular boulevard (although that might be overstating it somewhat) lined with tea ladies and plastic chairs along the banks of the Nile.

Moeze ever the poetic philosopher turned to us on the way and said somberly: “Khartoum will be darker tomorrow...” For a moment we thought he was talking about power cuts until he continued ... “two of its lights are leaving” and we realised rather belatedly he was actually talking about us.

The ladies that joined us spoke limited English, so what followed was a raucous if somewhat bewildering conversation interspersed with rather inexplicable bursts of laughter. 

Moeze our go-between did his best, but most of the humour seemed to be lost in translation. 

Regardless, I was soon laughing a long wholeheartedly with everyone else whether I understood the punchline or not. 

It was the most I’ve laughed in a long, long time and it really was a lovely evening spent with good company. 

Sudanese have a wonderful capacity to make you feel welcomed. 

As we were waiting to take an amjad back downtown, Mona - one of the young ladies - suddenly took my hand (here it’s quite common for lady friends to walk hand and hand) as we strolled down the road. “Beautiful”, she said touching my hair, “beautiful” she said pointing to my blue earrings.

Although I am enjoying getting to know life here, there are moments when I really miss the 

closeness and familiarity of my female friends. 

And even though we had only just met and did not share a common language, I felt so grateful and touched for Mona’s spontaneous gesture.

Sudanese beats for a good cause

My new friend Nuha invited me along to a fundraiser for a children’s hospital in Khartoum the other night that her sister Hna'a and some friends had organised.

For children hospitalised in the Khartoum area, illness is often compounded by extreme poverty, with many families unable even to buy the most basic necessities for their sick children, including water.

The money raised during the event will go towards helping improve the quality of life for children in the hospital's care.

Quite unexpectedly I was sat in the so-called “VIP” section – distinguished by an endearing handwritten note stuck to the table – and surrounded by considerably more eminent figures than myself.

The event was held in a restaurant in the posh Khartoum 2 suburb, with attendees a mixture of foreigners and locals, many of whom had worked or grown up abroad.

Proceedings kicked off with a passionate speech by a Tanzanian student on the subject of charity and its pivotal place in all major religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.

Musicians from local youth and cultural group The Corner, were also performing as part of the fundraiser.

Since I arrived in Sudan I've been trying to get a feel for Khartoum’s arts and cultural scene, which – outside foreign-funded initiatives – seems a bit lacking.

The Corner aims to fill that gap by facilitating cross-cultural exchange, with members meeting from time to time at different venues across the city to share music, poetry, ideas and discussion.

It’s a simple concept, but one that I think has a lot of potential, particularly in the promotion of local performing arts and youth-based activities.

While members of The Corner often perform for fun, this was the first time they had come together as part of a charity event.

Although there were some ongoing issues with the sound set-up, the talent and enthusiasm of the performers was undeniable.

The program included rap groups, female vocalists and hip hop performances, as well as a moving group performance of Michael Jackson’s Heal the World.

While ordinarily I’m not a big fan of rap, I found that Arabic lends itself really well to the genre and the guys all really looked the part.

Continuing the MJ theme later was a show-stealing performance by the elastic-limbed ‘Jackson Twins’ of Khartoum, who paid homage to their idol with a medley of his best dance moves, pulling off moon walk that no doubt the King of Pop himself would have been proud of.

Eagerly awaiting the next Corners event … hopefully before moving on from Khartoum. 

*The Corner lists their events on their Facebook group TC Corner.

Showers and loos: the new optional luxury

Now, I’m not adverse to a bit of roughing it from roughing it from time to time, but even so, the last few days have been somewhat trying for the SVP household here in Khartoum. 

After a fantastic few days away for the Muslim holiday Eid (more about that here), we returned to discover the water had been off for the last three days. 

A former volunteer, who was manning the fort so to speak, had contracted the chicken pox while we were away, and thus the general the state of the flat had also rapidly deteriorated - most notably the toilet situation, which had begun to rival the nightmarish loo as seen in Trainspotting.

Everyone was tired, dusty and generally in need of a good bath after our long journey back to Khartoum, which involved several stops along the way for mechanical problems.

Unsurprisingly, news of the shower situation and the general state of the flat put everyone on a bit of a downer. 

On a rooftop in Riyad

 Although we all wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, we soon escape en masse to the posh suburb of Riyad after being invited to a small birthday gathering for Anika, an intern at the German cultural institute here.  


This is my first visit to the so-called Beverley Hills of Khartoum and it really does feel like a world away from the dusty, rubbish-strewn streets downtown. 

Compared to the dismal state of our own abode, Anika's apartment - complete with air conditioning, tasteful décor, comfortable floor lounges and a wonderful roof terrace - feels like the pinnacle of luxury.

We arrive at her door like ragged desert urchins with an assortment of cakes, tea and soft drink, partly as birthday gifts and partly as bribes for the use of her shower.

Later the grim situation back at the flat almost melts away as we sit chatting on Anika's rooftop terrace, a soft breeze kissing freshly-showered skin and the lights of Khartoum spread out around us.

It's almost enjoyable to lose track of time in our comfortable new surroundings, that's the problem.

It's almost 1am when we finally manage to get an amjad back to the flat, but Abdul the doormen has already locked the gates and no-one is able to track down the after-hours number. 

We explore jumping over the back concrete fence (fail), kicking the doors (fail), shouting (fail) and finally waking up the receptionist of a nearby hotel (fail again). 

It soon becomes apparent that instead of falling into bed as we had all been wanting to do several hours ago, we must instead roam the streets of Khartoum until morning. 

This sentence is no doubt going to give my mother heart palpitations, but in reality the streets of Khartoum are probably safer than most of the European capital cities (although I’m sure no-one will ever believe that).

At this time of night, the city is almost eerily deserted, apart from the odd pack of stray dogs and some bored looking security guards.

We kill some time walking around; chatting about other challenging experiences we’ve faced in our lives as a way of convincing ourselves that the current situation really isn't that bad after all.

A couple of hours before dawn we wind our way back to the flat and gather some bricks together as makeshift seats and wait for the doormen to rouse.

A couple of hours doesn’t seem that long, but when you’re being systematically attacked by mosquitoes, a rat is scurrying behind in the darkness and a curious policemen with a rather large rifle comes to investigate, two hours can seem like a lifetime.

The gates are finally unlocked just as the morning call to prayer sounds, with Abdul more than a little surprised to find four sleepy khawadjas on the doorstep.

That was three days ago and this morning the water was finally switched back on again … Thank goodness for a shower and a functioning loo: I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated the simple things in life quite as much as I do right now.

Sleepless in Khartoum

Mind the....manhole!

Walking down Khartoum's streets is more an exercise in avoidance than a relaxing stroll. Aside from the dust-choked streets, many of the city's meandering pathways remain in a permanent state of disrepair and are barely more than a series of unconnected, randomly-placed concrete slabs.

Often there's none at all, and in this case you must share the road with the buses and amjads (taxis).

Dodging traffic, roadside traders and crooked footpaths, means it's also near impossible to walk anywhere in a straight line.

One of the biggest hazards, however, are the many enormous manholes inexplicably left exposed in the footpaths.

Here is a pictorial selection:

Manhole 1

Manhole 2

Since I arrived in Khartoum I've been joking about falling in and getting lost, and last night that very nearly happened.

The manholes are particularly hazardous at night, as street lights are a scarcity in Khartoum.

After having a coffee with friends, I was hurrying to catch up with the group when I lost my balance and slipped into a manhole, which I hadn't noticed in front.

One minute I was chatting and the next minute I was crawling across the ground trying to extricate my left leg from a manhole directly in front of a posh expat restaurant.

Needless to say, there is no elegant way to climb out of a giant concrete hole in the ground.

Explosions in Khartoum

It's nearly 2am (local time) and I was just about to go to bed when Twitter-sphere lit up with reports of a series of huge explosions at an arms factory here in Khartoum.

There is speculation online that the incident was the result of an airstrike, however the government's official line is that it was an "internal" problem and no sabotage was involved.

Reports in the international media have so far shed no light on the reasons behind the explosions .

Meanwhile, comments posted on Twitter included claims that the impact had shattered windows in nearby homes and many residents were fleeing the scene.

The Yarmouk ammunitions factory is located in southern Khartoum, about 15 minutes drive from the SVP flat.

I haven't heard any explosions and the streets beneath the flat remain silent except for a few late night traders packing up for the day. In any case, I'm sure more will be revealed in coming hours.

Goodnight from my balcony here in a silent, sleepy part of Khartoum.

UPDATE:

Latest word is that last night's incident in which two people died was the result of an Israeli airstrike.

A spokesman from the Sudanese government said Israel wants to hinder the country's military development and accused Israel of using radar jamming technology to carry out the strike.

The spokesman says the government is in "confrontation" with Israel and reserves the right to respond.

Sudanese bloggers have been sceptical about their government's official resonse to the incident.

There is also speculation over whether Israel sought clearance from the U.S before carrying out the alleged missile attack on the complex, possibly motivated by Israel's belief that weapons were being smuggled into Gaza from the region.

"What happened to 'internal problem' ya ministry of defense?" tweeted one local commentator.

"Military factory in KRT allegedly bombed by Israel. World yawns. Sudan hits rock bottom. Wait, we hit it long ago. Currently digging a hole," quipped another.

Meanwhile, Israel isn't saying either way.

...The plot thickens

Khartoum impressions

Tea time by the Nile

Stepping out into the streets of Khartoum is a bit like stepping into another world: It can be overwhelming, but at the same time it's a revelation. 

While most people in the west associate only negative images with Khartoum and Sudan in general, the city actually feels very safe and welcoming. 

Vegetable market

I have only been here now for a couple of days and I still a bit shy and very much aware of my foreignness. 

But saying that, the Sudanese people I’ve met so far have been incredibly friendly - if a little bemused to find a Khawaja (foreigner) in their midst.

Here there is a real warmth and genuineness in people’s greetings.

Everywhere you go people wave and call out “welcome, how are you” - a refreshing change from the usual mindset in big cities where people rush about their business without pausing to talk or smile at those around them.

The Sudanese are famously generous and even if they don't have much themselves, people are always happy to offer you a tea or cold drink - even pay your bus fare.

There’s certainly no shortage of dust, dirt, heat and rubbish in Khartoum's chaotic streets. And while elegant mansions can be found in the posher districts, the majority of buildings downtown remain half-finished concrete shells or appear to be in a perpetual state of decay. 

 But amidst this, is a sort of frenetic, buzzing energy and a colourful and enterprising street trade. 

Date stalls

Entering the souqs (markets) is to step into a chaotic labyrinth of narrow backstreets and bustling thoroughfares, with traders, donkeys, shoppers and delivery men all clambering for space.

Here you can find a wide range of every item imaginable from clothes to shoes, spices, jewellery and household goods.

Street traders fill any gaps with an eclectic assortment of odds and ends - their wares displayed without fanfare on small carboard boxes or plastic sheets.

Men cut toenails, shine shoes, repair watches, and sell anything from cigarettes, flip flops, batteries, used phone chargers, loofahs and torches that may or may not double as hand-held radios.

There are date stalls, falafels, barbecued meats, second hand clothing, outlandishly coloured leather shoes, while the whir of blenders signal Khartoum’s popular juice stands. 

Tea is a favourite Sudanese pastime

During the call to prayer men hurriedly wash themselves with public water jugs before entering designated tent areas for prayer.

Another common sight in the streets are the brightly coloured orange water coolers with shared drinking cups. Water being one of the basic tenets of Islam, these are provided as a free service to residents and can be found scattered across the city.

The mainstay of Sudanese street life here, however, is its smiling tea ladies. These simple stalls offer an assortment of sweet teas and coffee infused with ginger. 

I guess you can say it’s the Sudanese way to chill out. People from all walks of life meet here to chat or simply while away a few hours during the hottest part of the day.