Ben Wilhelmi

Random pictures, South Sudan

 

Where did that would-be pilot got this mini uniform…

 

Young refugee…what future awaits her in that hopeless land?

 

Those rambos are absolutely everywhere…

 

 

Civilians, for good reasons, hate to go naked as well.

 

Extra passengers as usual and what a coincidence, there was that comfortable office as cargo. Better seat than the aircraft ones for sure.

 

Another recurrence were those armored vehicles at the end of many airstrips.

 

As for the little pilot, the question remains, where did this lady get that flamenco dress?

 

Henne work, very common for married women.

 

This soldier looks placid enough but imagine him in combat, full of fury and armed. The effect on the enemy must be certain.

Random pictures, South Sudan

 

One of the pictures I stole while hitching a ride on a military convoy.

 

 

 

Detail of a gun held by a civilian. Quite a vintage model, 1911. Not sure if the US army still use them.

 

Some people might go for a long trip…

 

 

 

 

A mobile control tower. People tend to go back the bush or small town with heavy luggage. When a country is torn part by a civil war, any goodie is needed.

 

The infamous Kalashnikov AK 47

Random pictures, South Sudan

 

Christmas in a military camp. Refugees had escaped their ransacked village, courtesy of the rebels, and found shelter in this camp. Not that the regular soldiers are any better, it is all about tribalism, that scourge of the continent, sadly. Meanwhile we heard bullets flying around the camp. I was assured we were safe for the meeting and party duration…cool then.

 

Stunning girl coming back to visit the family in the bush. Many gifts from the city will require 2 taxi bikes.

 

 

Hass…somebody hasn’t done some basic marketing…

 

Wounded soldier. I was wondering if I was rescuing a dangerous criminal or a decent guy caught up in a civil war he maybe didn’t want.

 

Temporary feeding station in Pibor.

 

The Russian cargo airplanes always bring people, refugees or not, back to Juba. Cargo planes mean no seats, so the passengers just sit on the bare floor. Not a big deal, pilots and other greasers get richer. It could become a big deal if the people slide back and tilt the aircraft on its tail. Deadly crashes have happened for that reason. I was quite nervous myself when I did that myself with refugees. My climb was very slow to keep the plane in a flat attitude. And I realised it is quite a good thing to have carpeted floor. Metallic floors are easy to clean but slippery…

 

Mobile control tower, convenient contraption once a war zone has been temporarily/partially pacified.

 

The notorious Iliyushin 76. Stolen picture as paranoia with psychopathic behaviour doesn’t make a pleasant match amongst the soldiers and various officials, low ranking or not.

South Sudan, people

 

the situation doesn’t get better in that war-torn country, thanks to the lousy corrupt and incompetent leaders. The staggering number of 1.5 million refugees has been hit, out of a population of 12 million!

You can’t expect much hope from a government that forcibly recruits child soldiers…

 

But people there, well mostly women, seemed to be hoping for peace, to live a normal life considering the effort put in fashion and hairdos.

 

 

You’ve got to pinch yourself sometimes when those stunning creatures come out of the middle of shitty nowhere… High heels were common sightings.

 

and some guys were quite into fashion too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This girl couldn’t be my copilot, my flying precision would have suffered as a result…

Random pictures in South Sudan

 

2 extremes…

 

The air forces in 2015 had only that aircraft, rented from Uganda. But then they had those stealthy Mil 34 or 35. They had arrived just days before I fled that charming country. This is my last picture, stolen as usual, there.

 

A common scene, a crazy bigot…

 

 

Same scam everywhere…

 

 

Civilians with AK 47’s. This man looked in charge of some bodyguards so I felt half safe but sometimes you get the tramp with blood shot eyes asking for favors…

 

I’ve lost count on how many different uniforms I spotted there. There 954 generals in the country. For 12 millions citizens! That’s more generals than all the US forces combined.

 

Santa in South Sudan…sometimes it got funny out there.

South Sudan, people

 

Are they really soldiers or just guys with weapons. Discipline and proper training seem a strange concept here… I have seen many times these soldiers refusing to obey their commanders, which implied some fighting to get them straight. In one case I was involved in the fighting. 50 soldiers, yes 50, had boarded my 13 seater and wouldn’t budge! So when the commander and some abiding soldiers invited me to help to remove the mutineers, I enjoyed the game, happily enjoyed a few kicks to relieve some piled up frustration..

 

Authentic  piercing.

 

Juba, the capital is dirty and not everybody has access to water. Those faucets are available here and there.

 

 

 

After a public appearance for women’s rights somewhere in the bush. Not sure the men were convinced…

 

 

Fashion in any situation. What a hat!

In South Sudan, random pictures

 

2 different styles of women.

 

 

 

Those kids always wait for passengers and heavy luggage. When someone goes back to the bush, supplies are expected for the families or simply business.

 

An unusual outfit for the bush.

 

A soldier stands on a destroyed military vehicle, in a burnt down village, Ayod.

 

soldiers and civilian refugees in a military camp surrounded by rebels, Ayod.

On a very hot Christmas day, these women found the energy and the spirits to sing and dance.

random pictures, South Sudan

 

The scary guy…

 

The traveller aka the Dude.

 

I brought a VIP, so big cars are there as bodyguards. Look at the ammunition clip!

 

A patriotic woman.

 

A Murle woman with white piercings.

 

A slab of meat for hat.

 

 

 

South, random pictures

 

A soldier walks on school books. Rebels have attacked that village, tore down and torched everything including school and a women’s center.

 

A typical outfit for many Sudanese men.

 

Honorary or retired policeman I suppose.

 

On a brighter note, things happen in Juba.

 

Rubber straps are efficient but a good pair of hands are even better to hold overloaded things.

 

 

Interesting haircut.

Security in Ayod, South Sudan

 

there is that place in South Sudan, Ayod, where the situation is ever changing. The airstrip and the adjacent military camp are run by the government troops. A few miles away lay the rebels.

The village nearby and the cell phone towers have been destroyed, burnt and razed to the ground a few months ago and nobody has dared to come back.

Whenever we land there we receive, in theory, the latest news about the situation. So pilots can choose from which direction to approach the airstrip.

Well a few days ago the commander was jumping around the aircraft waiting for me to shut down the engine. He was really nervous, I learnt the rebels had shifted their positions…and I just overflew them, at low altitude and slow airspeed, the worst combo! I checked the aircraft for bullet holes but found none, pfew.

There is a chick I need to spank once back in Juba, she forgot to pass on the information.

Next time, I’ll come overhead the airstrip, drop a wing and spiral down tight to landing, Baghdad style. Too bad for my passengers’ stomachs and fear.

While the soldiers were offloading the aircraft, I heard the usual gunshots in the distance. Dozens of soldiers always come around and keep an eye open without various weaponry.

 

These are school books! What a pity. It also shows the intellectual level of those rebels…

 

 

This soldier has enough bullets to hold a siege…though at second glance, those bullets are too big for his Israeli weapon. He must be a helper on a machine gun too.

I haven't managed to get a picture of the rocket propelled grenade launchers. Always impressive.

 

Recently we get the royal treatment: 2 of these vehicles welcome us.

My Christmas in South Sudan

 

We had come with VIP’s hence the heavy security on landing in Ayod. The rebels are really close, we flew avoiding some corners of the airstrip, a man died nearby last week….

 

But this is Christmas and people around camp decided to forget the daily suffering and danced with gusto, civilians and soldiers all together. The women seemed possessed. 35C and they just showed an incredible energy, danced longer than men. Here these 2 women pretended to fight while dancing.

 

Some soldiers provided the rhythm while dancing around.

 

While I enjoyed the show and shooting pictures, though at the worst time of the day for the lighting and with a smartphone only, there was some more serious business going. The VIP’s were not here to enjoy the Christmas show but to discuss grave matters and to visit a burnt down village next door, the result of clashes between attacking rebels and defensive government troops. The VIP’s were nice and invited my copilot and me for a tour.

 

We travelled at a “considerable” speed in Cruisers like this. Quite fun to fly by the bush, off or on dirt tracks or water. I had chosen to stay out too, like these soldiers.

 

Not so funny was the sighting of a burnt down village. Huts were blackened, roofs had collapsed, many cars were wrecked, a lot of materials laid littered, walls were crushed, bullet impacts to be seen like through this poster, there was not one villager to be seen, a ghost village….as often women and children are the first victims

 

Another example was this burnt container which was full of school books! A sad scenery as a whole….

 

Back to camp, we had lunch…forget the Christmas cake and champagne. Soldiers and civilians were jolly, I was greeted with warmth I don’t know how many times.

 

And there was more dancing. I was thrilled to observe real dances and songs, not like on a Maasai tour in the Ngorongoro, which is a real booby trap for tourists.

 

This was the unusual peace message of the day, not quite a Christmassy one in style but close otherwise.

 

And I got these 2 stunning women posing for me.

I hope this girl like so many others will have a bright future.

After this day, I promised myself not to complain about the Congolese music concerts which will go on for 2 nights at my hotel…