Everything we told the Dutch Ministry of Justice was upheld!

Only idiots can’t see the darkest point in my story

Chapter 09

‘Everything we told the Dutch Ministry of Justice was upheld’

By Gwado J. Ador

After having completed the initial process at the Schiphol reception point, then it was obvious now that we were going to be handed over to COA, an organization that looks after asylum seekers in terms of accommodation and feeding.

Jansen and his colleagues who come from this organization didn’t waste time after receiving a list of our names following the initial process with the immigration officials at the airport. They went on straight distributing blankets, some sandwiches of Gouda Cheese and canes of cool milk and soft drink for each and every one among us.

Then afterwards, they told us to follow them each after one another until we reached a bus yard outside the main building at the airport. There, three busses were waiting for us, and swiftly we got onto them because we couldn’t withstand the freezing weather outside.

At 14:00 PM, the busses started moving, and as we drove on a smooth paved road with beautiful trees lined up and covered with some layers of snow, we view flat beautiful green landscape littered with stunning views of flowers here and there.

The trees look as if they have just been pruned, infect, they dropped leaves sometime back making them even look more beautiful. I was stunned by a range of beautiful pink, yellow, white and purple flowers… a glimpse of woodland at the horizon, and then green space littered with giant windmills here and there.

Then, we continued driving across canals and then along lined up beautiful houses with wide and clear glass windows through which we could see the splendid decoration of the Dutch taste. On top of one of the elegant grass-thatched house, I saw the chimney smoking and emitting the lovely aroma of the Dutch buttered fresh cookies.

OC

After two and half hours’ drive, then finally we reached a certain area, which they called Gilze en Rijen. It seems it was our final destination as we were made to understand later.

To me, the place was in the middle of nowhere and looks like a farmhouse that had survived the destruction of World War Two. There are makeshift structures and newly build bungalows to accommodate more people. The place was surrounded by green space of woodland all over. We were told that this is our accommodation for now.

Jansen and his team jumped out and went straight into a building, then shortly came out with other two gentlemen. They were speaking and probably about the arrangement as some of us have worn out completely and need just to retire and have deep sleep from a long journey.

As they were smiling while approaching the bus park, then in clear English tone, the man said, ‘welcome to Gilze en Rijen ‘OC’. I hope you will enjoy our hospitality. Please, feel at home for the time you will spend with us here.’

OC is temporary accommodation for asylum seekers and it’s called in the Dutch language as ‘Opvang Centrum’. There were so many such centres across Holland.

Asylum seekers are normally distributed according to the availability of spaces in a particular centre, and for that matter, we were taken straight to Gilze en Rijen, because there were vacant spaces that need to be filled. Thus, we fit in with our huge number of twenty-eight individuals into OC Gilze en Rijen.

Accommodation in such centres differs in size or housing style from one to another, it depends where you fall, some are in the form of bungalows and others are flats or blocks.

For our case, we were given a flat like building and each family was given a large room with shared facilities. Singles share rooms mostly ‘2-3’ people in a room. Food is locally cooked by volunteers’ chiefs and served only in the dining hall. No one was allowed to cook own food or eat outside the dining hall.

Everything was provided, including free Dutch classes, legal aid, medical care, sports facilities and weekend’s night entertainment was also guaranteed. Life at those centres was so busy and facilitated by Dutch volunteers whose main aim was to introduce the newcomers into the Dutch system, culture and way of life.

However, we had to spend a little more than 6 months under which we were rigorously screened and studied from all aspects of life. Thus, bored most have become, because many among us felt as if we were moulded and coached enough to fit into Dutch society.

We felt as if we were imprisoned, and strangled because we couldn’t do anything as we like or move freely. The administration said we need to undergo another level called ‘AZC’, Aziel Zoekers Centrum’ which was an upgrade level in terms of care and freedom.

AZC

To AZC, people were distributed randomly as most of the refugees could now speak little Dutch Language. Some were taken into cities centres and others were still rotating from remote areas to another remote area. This is exactly what happened to us when we were transferred from extreme South to the extreme North.

I and my family members were taken to a certain area called Vlagtwedde far North in the Region of Groningen and at the border with Germany. We were given a big self-contained room well furnished. Often others especially the singles had to share kitchen, shower and toilets.

At this stage, you could still be deported to your country of origin if you failed to provide enough evidence or justify that you were at risk by the time you had asked for asylum in Holland. Sometimes it could be just the sample reason for not conforming to the ethics of the society.

Although Vlagtwedde was a remote area, still we could make it and travel to visit some of our friends who were transferred to other camps across Holland and return the same day to our accommodation.

Holland is a tiny country of which you can just travel from extreme South to North or cross from East to West within just a couple of hours a day. Its people speak mainly Dutch Language with English as the Second language where you can just get by in the first months of your stay in the country.

Two years down the road, yet still, we couldn’t hear any result from the department of immigration in the Ministry of Justice. Some among us started to become inpatient, we were nervous about the whole process and how long would it take.

The delay in our integration into Dutch society wasn’t our main misgivings; we were concerned about something bigger than that. It was our nostalgia for home and our contribution to advance the cause of our struggle for freedom. Somehow free were we, but still, we thank our God that we could at least look after ourselves and loved ones.

However, at AZC we could get more freedom, some attention, it means we get some little cash remitted into our accounts every week by COA administration. This money was meant to help us buy foodstuff that we fancy and other necessary items such as shoes or warm clothes. Often, we could get such stuff in the second-hand shops within the centre at affordable prices.

Integration into the Dutch Society

Nearly after three years, the Ministry of Justice informed us that we have now been recognized as genuine refugees, they granted us a status to stay indefinitely. Afterwards, the central administration at Vlagtwedde told us that we have been offered a house in Bussum area near Hilversum, and not far from Utrecht and Amsterdam.

Infect, Bussum which was considered a small area in size and population was being called in Dutch as ‘dorpje’ which means village because of its social and economic status. It is a small area just within a few driving minutes from Hilversum, which hosts the Dutch largest media centre in the region of ‘Het Gooi’.

Anyway, during 1996 and 97, most of Sudanese were already settled and became Dutch citizens. They were given houses at different locations across Holland. Loyalty to the South Sudanese cause grew in earnest, lobby groups started to spring up, SPLM chapter office was organized and almost everybody was a member and active.

Given the political situation at home, we were up to the task; we were active politically and contribute money regularly to help the cause of our struggle for freedom at home. We were able to host political rallies to challenge the status quo at home in favour of social and political independence. All of our ‘64’ tribes were one thing with one spirit.

Churches also sprang up, our community in Holland had two churches, one was led by Rev. Salvator Ali Abdul Rahman at The Hague, and another one was led by Rev. Christopher Drale ‘Cd’ at Houten area in Utrecht. The community faithful were shuttling between the two churches every Sunday or on big occasions like Easter and Christmas.

We were also organised in the form of civil society and we called our organization as ‘the Concerned Sudanese Community in Holland’ of which my friend, late William Vito Akuar and myself plus others were active. We organised public sensitisation programs, participate in civil society debates or call for public rallies or demonstrations.

For example, we staged a demonstration against Shell and Talisman oil giant companies who were active refuelling Sudan government gunships to kill our people in South Sudan and Nuba Mountains and that was in summer 1998.

We wrote a letter addressed to Mr Mark Moodi-Stuart the Chairman of the Royal Dutch Shell who was based in London raising our concern about the violations committed by their organization against our people at home.

Mr Moodi-Stuart wrote back in a letter apologising and showing readiness to work with us and to address issues of environmental safety and compensation of communities around oil exploration and concession areas in South Sudan.

Radio Voice of Hope

Then later, and in conjunction with Pax Christi Netherlands under its mission and auspices for peace and reconciliation in Sudan, a project for Radio Sudan was created in 1999. I was among those who were invited by the project leader Ms H. Yvonne to discuss and spearhead the program as a Sudanese native.

It was created with the aim to sensitise the people of Sudan about the peace and reconciliation process in the country. The project leader Ms H. Yvonne at Pax Christi in the Netherlands worked tirelessly to ensure and to secure financial support for this project and its sustainability.

She managed to rally the support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs which stood firmly and wholeheartedly behind this project. Eventually, we had a tiny recording studio at Pax Christi where we had everything set for us to make ’30’ minutes program.

Computers, editing software and digital recording equipment including microphones were supplied, and necessary training on how to produce program digitally were undertaken. Within a short time framework, we learned how to edit digitally and make logical radio program within time limit.

I took charge as the broadcast officer, then I called for William Vito Akuar and Samira Ladu to assist in making programs, then later Mary Nyuaka and few others joined in to help supply more skills and materials for the radio to continue every week. Radio program consists of news, drama, and talks of the week…etc.

We sent the program through the internet to the Radio Netherlands International every Friday evening to be broadcast the following day in the morning making use of our previous knowledge on Radio Juba mainly on the technique of writing news items, editing and translation…etc.

Through Pax Christi contact, Leu van Woude an Engineer on Radio Netherlands International made sure that our 30 minutes’ slot was being wisely used to broadcast Sudan affairs, mainly issues that promote peace and reconciliation. At Hilversum, he was in charge of broadcast signals into East Africa.

Thus, Radio Voice of Hope came into being broadcasting from Hilversum and beaming towards East Africa through satellites into Sudan. It was very popular in South Sudan by then.

Relocating to Africa

While politicians in Sudan were preparing to sign comprehensive peace agreement during 2000 -2004, Pax Christi Netherland had made plans to relocate the radio Voice of Hope to East Africa and broadcast from there.

The idea was to engage ordinary people and politicians; particularly the civil society brings the desired peace and reconciliation to the people of Sudan. Mr R. Edwin, who took over the project didn’t want to miss this opportunity to let the radio play a vibrant role where the events were taking place in East Africa.

In March 2000 I was officially told by Mr R. Edwin to prepare myself and relocate to Africa because peace was about to be signed and Radio Voice of Hope should now move to Nairobi to broadcast from there so that it engages the people.

However, as I was preparing to travel to Africa, I met Mr Telar Deng Ring at Pax Christi Netherlands; obviously, he was on duty tour, and that was my first time to come face to face with him. Both Yvonne and Edwin later told me much about him that he was in charge of the peace desk at the New Council of Churches in Nairobi. I didn’t know that there were plans to place Radio Voice of Hope under his desk later at the New Council of Churches.

Mr Deng Ring is a very respectful gentleman and outspoken, a shrewd politician and a lawyer whom you can’t mistakenly take for granted. He won my respect from the start when we first met at Utrecht.

I was happy to know him and we discussed issues of concern as fellow South Sudanese with shared history and misfortunes. Then later, and by coincident, I met him again when he was visiting his brother-in-law Majak Atoj in a tram at Amsterdam.

While Majak Atoj was leaning over, he whispered to me saying, do you know Mr Telar? I said yes, I have recently met him at Utrecht. Then, he told me that ‘Telar and he are brothers, they were married from the same family’ and I said, we are lucky to have people like him in our midst, he seems to be a very powerful man.

Then, while still on the tram, Mr Ring surprisingly made a statement, which puzzled me until today. He said, ‘you know what Gwado, if we those of Bhar el-Gazal whom you call in Upper Nile as the foolish majority take over the government one day by a chance, I don’t know where will you go with us, especially your Drs’, then he went on mentioning, ‘Dr John Garang, Dr Riek Machar and Dr Lam Akol,!

First, I didn’t take that statement very serious; I thought it was some kind of a joke. But later…

To be continued next week…

Upcoming

‘When two men quarrel, do not allow them to share the same seat on a canoe’

Dedicated to the honest and fearless in South Sudan

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