One of Western journalists favorite descriptors for Sudan is failed state.
It's catchy,just vague enough to elude scrutiny,slightly patronizing and can be used in almost any story.
I guess you know how I feel about that term now,
However,every once in awhile something happens that's so ridiculous that it makes me pause and wonder if that descriptor is not actually accurate.
In today's newspaper, residents of Almulazmeen,Omdurman, described how they had a big tree on the main road,whose branches had started pushing against the High tension electric wires running down their main street{That the High tension wires running through a residential neighborhood are not the story should tell you something}.
A group of neighbors repeatedly called the authorities and after being passed back and forth determined that they should take matters into their own hands.
They started to cut down the branch,which then slid ON to the wires creating a precarious situation.
After filing a report with the Electric company,engineers were deployed by the company to asses and deal[ha] with the situation.
On arrival the engineers took a look and pronounced that this was not in their scope of work as the wire was not disconnected per se .
They told the local residents to call them WHEN the wire fell under weight of the fallen branch as it would then fall under their jurisdiction.
Before leaving they very helpfully informed the residents that the branch was a safety hazard and that WHEN it snapped , the surge could damage their home appliances.
I imagine they drove off to cheerfully to wherever at this point.
After reading the article{complete with catchy quotes from outraged locals and a picture of the offending tree and fallen branch},I put down the paper and had a big laugh.
Another day in Sudan.
It's catchy,just vague enough to elude scrutiny,slightly patronizing and can be used in almost any story.
I guess you know how I feel about that term now,
However,every once in awhile something happens that's so ridiculous that it makes me pause and wonder if that descriptor is not actually accurate.
In today's newspaper, residents of Almulazmeen,Omdurman, described how they had a big tree on the main road,whose branches had started pushing against the High tension electric wires running down their main street{That the High tension wires running through a residential neighborhood are not the story should tell you something}.
A group of neighbors repeatedly called the authorities and after being passed back and forth determined that they should take matters into their own hands.
They started to cut down the branch,which then slid ON to the wires creating a precarious situation.
After filing a report with the Electric company,engineers were deployed by the company to asses and deal[ha] with the situation.
On arrival the engineers took a look and pronounced that this was not in their scope of work as the wire was not disconnected per se .
They told the local residents to call them WHEN the wire fell under weight of the fallen branch as it would then fall under their jurisdiction.
Before leaving they very helpfully informed the residents that the branch was a safety hazard and that WHEN it snapped , the surge could damage their home appliances.
I imagine they drove off to cheerfully to wherever at this point.
After reading the article{complete with catchy quotes from outraged locals and a picture of the offending tree and fallen branch},I put down the paper and had a big laugh.
Another day in Sudan.
