Happy Thanksgiving from my little home in South Sudan!
Updates
Celebratory portraits from the unilateral referendum in Abyei
The border region of Abyei held a unilateral referendum on the 27-29 of October, in which 64,433 ballots were cast to determine unity with either Sudan or South Sudan. After counting each ballot by hand the results were announced on the 31st of October, with 99.99% of the votes for South Sudan. The vote has not been recognized by Sudan, South Sudan, the United Nations, or the African Union, although this did not stop the Ngok Dinka community in Abyei from celebrating.
Al Jazeera Magazine: Saving sight in South Sudan
Al Jazeera Magazine: The Health Issue
The main causes of blindness in South Sudan are cataracts, trachoma and onchocerciasis (river blindness). I spent time with a team of surgeons while they performed trachoma and cataract surgeries without running water or electricity in Nasir, South Sudan. To download the magazine please click here.
VOA Interview - South Kordofan
I spoke with the Voice of America about my recent trip to South Kordofan, Sudan.
The interview aired yesterday on 'South Sudan in Focus'.
You can listen to the interview (minute 14:30-18:30) by clicking here.
Happy 2nd Birthday South Sudan
On the eve of independence a boy celebrates on the streets of Juba, South Sudan, July 8th, 2011.
Boating on Lake Placid after a storm
Antonov planes bomb and fighter jets circle above the Nuba Mountains in Omdurain County, South Kordofan, Sudan.
Muhammad takes cover under a boulder and peers out at a circling Antonov that had just dropped two bombs on the opposite side of the mountain in Omdurain Country, South Kordofan, Sudan, June 17, 2013. Using fighter jets and Antinov planes to drop bombs, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) continue to target the civilian population in the Nuba Mountains.
Back from Kachin State
I spent the last 3 weeks in the KIO/KIA controlled territory in Kachin State, Myanmar. The KIA emphasized that there will be no ceasefire agreement with the Burmese government without dialogue to resolve the political situation, which lies at the heart of the conflict.
Below is a photo of my sleeping KIA security soldier. In his defense it was raining, and we all know that nothing happens when it's raining. More photos coming soon, after some rest.
Across the Yangon River to Dala
A woman collects water at dusk in Dala Township,Yangon, Myanmar, April 22, 2013.
Hello Yangon
Men help to unload fish from a boat on the Yangon River in Yangon, Myanmar.
Goodbye Juba - For Now
Food Insecurity - Dependency to Production
Reuters Special Report: Why some new countries are more equal than others
Artisanal Gold Mining - The Guardian
Reuters Special Report: In South Sudan, plunder preserves a fragile peace
Reuters Special Report: South Sudan's Chinese oil puzzle
Juba Border Protests
Protesters representing regions along the border with Sudan, including Panthou, Abyei, and Northern Bahr el Ghazel, gather outside of the Parliament building in Juba, South Sudan, October 15, 2012.
Returnees from Sudan Arrive at Juba Port
Returnees from Sudan arrive by barge at the port in Juba, South Sudan, August 31, 2012.
Military Hospital After Yau Yau Attack
An x-ray shows the scull of SPLA soldier Yohanes Gong age 35, who survived with a bullet lodged in his right cheek from fighting in Jonglei State during an ambush attack lead by David Yau Yau’s rebel group, recovers in the Military Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, August 31, 2012.
