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| August 4, 2008 |
Adre is being attacked by the JEM
The trip to Bahai
The two and half hour flight from N'Djamena to Abece took us over an expanse of land so dry and unyielding that the sighting of an occasional village inspires disbelief that human beings can survive in such an inhospitable lunarscape. Because of the rains there is a light mist of green and the land is dotted with scrubby bushes. The cracks in the earth are now filled with muddy water or just mud.
The Abece airport- is like nothing Ive ever seen-- and I've landed there 7 or 8 times before. The tiny airport is literally clogged with military aircraft; at least a dozen- the Chadian army, EUFOR helicopters and planes of all kinds and sizes alongside humanitarian planes: WFP, UN, MSF unloading supplies as troops- scores of troops- stand by. The bunkers are new as are the barracks under construction, and the newly extended runway. Eastern Chad is officially a war zone.
We were met by a UNHCR security officer who gave us the news that the JEM rebel group is attacking Adre.
After the plane refueled, we flew another hour and a half to Bahai . Here the green mist ends and the desert makes its own powerful statement.
We have spent the afternoon in Oure Cassni refugee camp. I will send this now and write more later