Africa Vision 30

Africa Vision 30

N’Djamena, December 30, 2007

Complacency

This afternoon I had the pleasure to talk for about two hours with police inspector Pop. He is about 6 foot one inch and is built like an ox with a matching deep laugh. He has been around the block and his work involves organized crime in Chad. He never leaves home without Magnum .375 and a bag full of bullets. As he was telling several years ago the street where I am living was off bounds even during daytime. It is the main street but there were so many robbers that even in clear daylight leaving your car was a risk. Over the last years they have managed to clear up a lot of the small criminality. But the big criminality often gets away. Certain people in Chad are beyond the law. They may serve several days for an armed robbery and then be released. After which they go after the policeman who had the nerve to arrest them.

He then went on to describe his experience with UN police work in Haiti involving drug trafficking. Two of the big police fish in Haiti were involved themselves in the business. Corruption to the core. Sounds like a familiar theme here.

Dressed in trainers and riding a low rider motorbike imported from the USA he rode of in to the sunlight off to catch hoodlums. A friendly giant who decided not to become a lawyer but a servant in the police force. It reminds me of the police force in the Netherlands. When I worked with them I realized that many officers have a deeply rooted sentiment to serve the people.

I was lured in to complacency today and actually over the last months, weeks and days. I have been slack on security and I guess it was my time to be slapped in the face with a wake up call. A taxi driver I knew asked me if I wanted a ride and I said nope I need some fresh air I would walk the 1-kilometer. And so I just strolled home at 04.00 in the morning from the VIP nightclub.
Two men came up to me. I felt instantly that it was not good. They asked for 100 CFA and in a flash I had taken the keys out of my purple lizard bag and started to run. One of them hung on to my leg and it felt like slapstick. I slammed the other guy in the face and wrestled myself free losing a shoe in process. But as I arrived near the gate of my house I saw a knife in one robber’s hand. For a moment I considered throwing my bag over the gate but logic finally prevailed and I just handed over the bag. As a parting gift the dacoits left me with a Zaghawa knife holder and a dented ego.

The lesson of the day was clear. It is never too late to turn around a series of bad decision. Walking at night, fighting back two robbers, trying to outrun them knowing the gate is closed. The best decisions were to accept the loss of my cherished bag plus the material possession there in and to cherish my life halting the need to be a silly hero. Dead heroes cannot write after all. No writing no fun. Writing this puts a smile on my face. Silly me, then again you live you learn. At least I try to.
My stubborn cocky ego needs to be flattened once in a while.
For all of you who worry about my health and well-being.

I PROMISS

No more strolls.
Taxis only.
Next robbery I will be a good boy and hand over my belongings straight away.

Perhaps the visit to the police bureau will lead to some comedia dell arte. We will see and I will report back on the process of reporting a theft in Chad. There was a reason I met the jolly police inspector today. I did not expect to need his help so fast.

I love being alive after a robbery with only a scratched arm and knee.

Peace to you all,

Ashis