From My Journal for April 23, 2004: Back From Leave

Went to work today to start digging out of some 300 plus emails (classified and un). But this afternoon, I went to the Embassy picnic for a bit. Completely organized by our local employees. Location,a farm on the Blue Nile. On the way there, my caravan of SUV plus follow-car came up behind a heard of goats completely blocking the dirt road. We all walked slowly for several minutes until the sheep sort of wandered into a field for some grass. I was listening to music and enjoying looking at all the colors and designs sheep come in. Yep, back in Sudan.

The picnic was quite nice. Was handed plates of food and played a game of volleyball. With a cool breeze from the river, it was bearable despite being way over 100. Volley ball on the shores of the Nile. Yep, back in Sudan.

04 Khartoum 0367: April 7, 2004 Meeting with Sudan's Foreign Minister*

* From my journal for April 7:  Met with the foreign minister and tried to find a way forward vis-à-vis the Chad talks. Maybe found one. Accepted his offer to have someone from the Embassy travel with him to Darfur. Meanwhile, the talks in Kenya maybe/maybe not have a breakthrough. Went to dinner on the Nile despite the heat. The warm breeze carried the smell of animal waste. Some kind of bug was out flying around the lights. But it actually wasn’t that bad. And sometimes a slightly cool, fresh breeze came along (helped by huge fans going at a respectful distance). Took the opportunity to try a waterpipe. Not bad. The slightly past full moon rose in the east over the Nile.

04 Khartoum 0341: GOS Now Says Sabotage, Not Coup Plot; Turabi's Party Says GOS moves Are Aginst Them*

* Note:  On April 4, I met with the Speaker of Parliament, to deliver our relevant standard messages plus noted that we were watching the case of arrested MP. He thanked me for my "frankness."

04 Khartoum 0342: Visit of Romanian Special Envoy