,, There
is a lot of crime in that city and government forces (the Sudan
People’s Liberation Army, or SPLA) are part of the problem. They get
paid so infrequently, alcoholism is rampant and many have been
brutalised by decades of war. Both sides in the ongoing civil war have
committed horrendous war crimes, but by all accounts the government has
been the worst offender. There’s also an incorrect perception amongst
some government supporters that the United States and United Nations
support the rebels, ergo hostility towards Westerners has been noticed.
I
don’t want to sugarcoat it, South Sudan is not a safe nation but it is
fascinating and the people are amazingly resilient and optimistic. Their
efforts to build a nation from scratch are impressive. (C.G., 2017).
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The first thing to say is that South Sudan is totally unequipped to handle
tourists. In fact, there’s practically no infrastructure whatsoever – no paved
roads, no communication network. On the other hand, the number of sights here
with tourism potential is enormous. Close to the Ethiopian border, for
instance, is the Boma National Park – an enormous area very rich in
wildlife: there are more than a million migratory Mongalla gazelles, as well as
white-cheeked turacos (a species of bird) antelope (among them the common
tsessebe antelope). The Nimule National Park is small but spectacular area where
the – sadly now extinct – white rhino used to roam. Today you can find (if
you’re lucky) hippos, kob antelope, buffalo and even elephants. Some European
travel agencies have already begun organizing trips to the Boma National Park.” (2015)
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The embassy told me I was an idiot for
travelling there. When I arrived I spent at least an hour with the deputy head
of the immigration office, who then ordered two civilian police officers to
accompany me, and keep an eye on me. He asked me why I didn’t seem to be afraid
of the police. I said my mother-in-law was a police officer…” (2018)
