Am I Safe Here?

The short answer to that is "I have no idea." The long answer to that is a longer version of "I have no idea." The blog answer to that, however, is a little bit like the long answer, except I list the things I've been told are supposed to make me feel unsafe in Khartoum, then tell you how not unsafe they actually make me feel. So, basically, the following safety assessment -- informed only by my inexpert opinion and unreliable perception of reality -- is my way of saying to each and every one of you: relax, Mom.

1. The ICC's Prosecution of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Committed in Darfur

This is obviously a big one. A military dictator who presumably believes he's above the law is being told by an international criminal court that, um, excuse us, but no, you are not -- and, in fact, you're going to prison for the rest of your life because your military, over which you have complete control, keeps raping and killing people. How will he react to the news? Calmly and rationally, I bet. The way all dictators do.

Understandably, U.N. employees in Khartoum have felt pretty unsafe ever since the decision was made to prosecute. All spouses have been ordered to leave, and the workers themselves feel like even bigger targets than they did before. They must especially hate driving.



And punishing innocent people is what al-Bashir does; I get that. But having random Westerners kidnapped and killed? Does anyone honestly believe that he believes doing this would cause the ICC to back off? If anything, they would probably lose patience and move forward with the prosecution. Plus, even if he starts ordering violence against Westerners, he will almost certainly see to it that someone important is harmed -- an ambassador or well-connected aid worker or something. As an ineffectual nothing-person with no capacity for world-changing, let me just say . . . phew.

Threat Level: 3

2. The United Nations' Warning of a Terrorist Cell in Sudan Planning to Attack Foreigners, and the Story of John Granville

John Granville, if you don't know, is the USAID worker who was assassinated earlier this year outside the British Embassy. As he was leaving a New Year's Eve party, a car pulled out in front of his, stopped, and opened fire, killing both him and the driver of the car he was riding in.

On his Wikipedia page there is still a sentence which reads: "The attack follows a warning by the United Nations that a terrorist cell in Sudan was planning to attack foreigners." Okay, now read this, which explains what this seemingly related terrorist alert has to do with his death. Seriously. I beg you. Please. Then come back when you're finished.

. . .

Done? Good. So, basically, it seems like the Sudanese government just made up a lie about there being a terrorist cell in Khartoum, then told the U.N. to watch out for this terrorist cell and also maybe blame terrorists for anything that happens semi-soon, then killed an American diplomat they were planning to kill all along, and then blamed it on the terrorist cell they just made up.

Genius. Nobody will suspect a thing.

Well, actually, replace the world "nobody" with "everybody including Barack Obama." Because during a speech in April, on the campaign trail, the future President-Elect said plainly, "Khartoum has yet to fully account for the murder of John Granville."

The point is that, again -- just like the ICC ruling mentioned above -- the most substantial threat seems to be government-sponsored terrorism, which is nothing like the terrorism of which we Americans commonly conceive. We think of terror victims as winners of an ignominious lottery; innocent and interchangeable people arbitrarily sacrificed for the transgressions of their country. The aspect of random selection -- that you could easily be next -- is largely what's so terrifying about it. But here, in Khartoum, nothing seems to be all that random. You have to matter to be a target ^[1].

I live under the rule of a military dictatorship that doesn't hesitate to kill foreigners who work to secure human rights and set up free elections. I get that that sounds frightening and lawless and unsafe. But as long as I'm not doing any of those important things, am I really in danger? Well, like I said: I have no idea. But, obviously -- for whatever reason -- I sort of doubt it.

Threat Level: Gray

3. Street Crime

Well, there is none. Military dictatorships are excellent for stability. Why? Carte blanche works two ways: Just as a military dictatorship, in theory, can kill foreigners who threaten the power structure, it can also disproportionately punish its own citizens for their crimes. Because, in the end, dictatorships are actually somewhat answerable to the public. The only way they manage to stay popular -- and remain in place -- is to provide the people with safety and stability. But if crime rates rise, people will feel unsafe and the regime will fall out of favor and be more susceptible to a coup. Oddly, then, crimes against pale-faces such as myself actually threaten the power structure, too. So protecting me is in the government's best interest.

Now: Because I'm racist, I never carry more than like 30 Sudanese pounds (roughly 15 bucks) on me at a time, but I honestly believe I'll never get mugged or beaten, or even so much as have my feelings hurt by someone giving me a dirty look. Of course, I do understand the basic concern: I stick out. If building tensions lead to anger displacement, I could be in trouble. But, with the exception of the rebel attack on the city in May, any and all violence here seems to come at the hands of the government, which -- in the event of my harm -- seems like it would be, at the very least, selfishly troubled by the news.

Threat Level: (I've been making these up)

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[1] Even though my place in all of this is stupendously inconsequential, I'll mention what proximity I have to his memory because it does illustrate how forgivably irrational fear can be: I met a few of his friends. They were mostly NGO workers based either in Darfur or the South with whom he had worked at one point or another. Not knowing any better, I brought up his death. "Yeah, we knew him." Oh. "He was at her wedding," one girl said. "His, too." After about 30 seconds she looked like she was kind of on the verge, and even though I felt like an asshole, she assured me that she actually liked thinking about him. She mustered a smile to put me at ease, but it still seemed like she missed him as much as anyone could possibly miss a friend. She and the rest of his friends, though, I think are examples of people who probably feel more unsafe in Khartoum than they do in Darfur, even though people are routinely kidnapped and killed there. And really, who can blame them? Who am I to "reason" that Khartoum is safe? His death clearly still resonates. If I were in their position, the city would probably give me chills, and its most salient feature would likely become its corrupt and remorseless government, which murdered my friend without consequence.