"so, how many blacks did you interact with there? the north is accused of racism...? if so, did you see any of that? how did people feel about the break up? what were your impressions of the conflict there? what was your main task? seems like Khartoum is insulated from all the fighting...?" - PP
The vast majority of my time in Khartoum saw me either consumed with work or passed out in a coma-like sleep. We worked past 8pm on most nights and on others, till 11:30. Regardless, we did somehow manage to fit in some exploration time during which I was able to get a decent taste of the political and social climate, not to mention stuff myself silly with Lebanese food (it's diet time, btw, for the next several months!)!
By "blacks," I am assuming you mean darker-skinned Africans, such as those from Darfur, S Sudan, etc (I'm still getting used to Ethiopians, Eritreans and other lighter skinned Africans considering themselves "brown," as opposed to "black;" and referring to themselves as "Ethiopian" and "Eritrean," but never "African.")? Yes, I did see and interact with a number of "blacks" during my stay in Khartoum, something I found surprising. Noting the government's propensity for xenophobia, one would think that someone of darker skin tone would find life in the "Sudanese Arab"-dominated north precarious to say the least. Apparently this is not true for all, however. During our ventures out into the city, we saw individuals that were dark as night even, sitting peacefully (or seemingly so, at least) in Khartoum's cafes, or working as wait staff. We had a chance to chat with an individual from S Sudan and another from Darfur, both of whom seemed comfortable with their lives in the North. In fact the S Sudanese guy was actually complaining about his new change in nationality because it meant he would now have to apply for a work permit and visa to remain in Khartoum. Our driver, who I guess would be classified as "brown," (???) told us that he loved President Bashir and basically said "good riddance" when we asked him for his opinion about S Sudan's independence. "The Southerners caused us so much trouble," he remarked. "They never wanted to be apart of this country. I'm glad they're on their own now." None of the locals we met in Khartoum seemed to think ill of the Bashir administration. None seemed to be disadvantaged by Bashir's continued rule, except of course the refugees, whose every day lives are led in fear that they will not see the next. Persecution against refugees, especially those who are Christian, is real and daunting. I left Khartoum wondering to myself if the refugees I interviewed would be safe as they made their way back to the camps, let alone till the adjudication of their USRAP applications.
Because of the observations I noted above, I do feel that Khartoum is isolated from the fighting in Darfur and along the border with S Sudan. At no time, did my colleagues and I feel that our safety was threatened. We were free to walk around the city as we wished, regardless of the time of day. As a non-Muslim woman I was not expected to where a head scarf. I was however expected to respect the laws and traditions. Alcohol (for men and women) is forbidden and women are expected to dress on the conservative side (long-sleeved tops that do not expose the chest and dresses/pants that loosely cover the legs). Khartoum may be safe for a white westerner like me, or a light-skinned, Arabic speaking Sudanese, but the same cannot be said for less fortunate migrant, refugees particularly. Sudan is the first country of asylum to thousands of refugees, but we consistently heard stories of refugees being arbitrarily locked up, tortured, and harassed. Sudan is predominantly Muslim and adheres to Sharia law. Nothing wrong with that, except that Christian refugees are not able to avail themselves basic human rights guaranteed to them by international law (Sudan has been a signatory to the UN Convention/Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees since 1974. Reference: here). They report relentless hardship, inclusive of rape, taunting, death threats and suppression of their rights to movement, religion, education and employment.
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USRAP: United States Refugee Admissions Program
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