From Sudan to Tivoli
Published:Sunday | August 8, 2010 | 12:00 AM
- Female police officer winning hearts in two war-torn communities on different sides of the world
Robert Lalah, Assistant Editor - Features
Oberlene Whyte bounced around in the dusty bed of a military jeep as it sped across the Tawila Desert in Sudan, northern Africa.
She had a lump in her throat and started feeling queasy as she got closer to her destination - a notoriously hostile rebel camp set up on the outskirts of the harsh African desert.
Whyte, a deputy superintendent in the Jamaica Constabulary Force had gone to Sudan in 2008 as part of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission there and had quickly made a mark, becoming the first woman commander of her division, a role that put her in charge of police personnel from dozens of countries.
The UN has maintained a presence in Sudan for years, trying to bring some stability to the region that has been home to a bloody decades-long battle.
Armed rebels in the south of the country have taken on government-sponsored militias from the north. It is a complicated dispute that involves a fight over resources, race, land and identity.
The war has claimed, by some estimates, hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced more that two million people.
The UN has called it the world's greatest current humanitarian crisis.
Whyte had decided she wanted to make some bold moves during her two-year stint in Sudan. One idea she came up with, was to make a landmark visit to a rebel camp located about three kilometres outside of Tawila. The members were known for their vicious battle tactics and hatred for the UN.
"I wanted to change the way they viewed the UN and its work in Sudan," said Whyte.
"I thought the best idea would be to engage them. There's no way to bring them around to understanding what the UN is about without meeting with them face to face," said Whyte.
The other peacekeepers weren't so eager. Most backed out of the visit, saying they weren't willing to take the risk.
"As soon as I said I wanted to go there, everyone started looking at me like I was crazy. They couldn't see why I would do that."
Even local Sudanese police officers told her the trip was a bad idea, and refused to go with her.
"They told me to forget it. They made it clear this wasn't a group to play around with."
Team convinced
It took some convincing, but eventually, Whyte convinced a small team of peacekeepers to make the journey. But sitting in the back of the jeep as it approached the dreaded rebel camp, Whyte silently wondered if she had pushed her luck too far this time.
"The truth is, we knew they had a really bad view of us, so they wouldn't have been happy to see us at all," she said.
Sure enough, the second the
"They were getting ready to fight. That's when I really started to worry," said Whyte. But it was too late to turn back. The small team of UN peacekeepers kept going, eventually pulling up just outside the camp.
It was then that all hell threatened to break loose. A large army of rebels (more than 100), some wearing long robes, others in tattered shirts and trousers, ran out, their guns drawn. They clearly weren't pleased.
"Why have you come here? You come here uninvited!" they shouted, ordering everyone out of the jeep at gunpoint.
"My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest," Whyte recalled.
"They started pushing the men around and told us to form a line and start walking."
"Move! Keep moving!" the rebels shouted.
"I thought they were taking us somewhere to kill us," said Whyte.
Slowly, the peacekeepers, with the Jamaican in the lead, started walking, dragging their feet, desperate to prolong what they thought were the last few moments of their lives. The rebel leader, who wore a long white robe to signify his status, ordered that mats be brought for the unwelcome visitors to sit on. Once that was done, he started walking around the group, scrutinising each peacekeeper from head to toe.
"Identify yourself!" he yelled. One by one they had to declare where they were from, hoping the answers wouldn't cause further trouble.
"We knew they wouldn't speak to Egyptians, but we didn't know who else would anger them," Whyte said.
Eventually, the armed rebel leader was standing right over her. "Where are you from?" he yelled, looking cross. Whyte swallowed hard. She paused. "Where are you from?" he demanded.
"I am from Jamaica and I ... " she said, but the lanky leader cut her off.
"Stop right there!" he shouted, his expression hard to read.
Whyte's heart jumped.
The rebel leader looked her over, slowly, then said:
"You are welcome here!"
His lips curled into a wide smile.
"Our foreparents went to Jamaica and got fat, while we are here suffering. We love Jamaica!" he exclaimed.
"It was such a shock, such a relief," Whyte recalled.
The rebels, now realising there was a Jamaican among the group, immediately relaxed and lowered their weapons.
They were eager to talk about reggae great, Bob Marley, declaring their profound respect for the late singer who they revere as one of history's great freedom fighters.
"They love him! They listen to his music and say it helps them through tough times. They see themselves as freedom fighters, so they get inspiration from his music," said Whyte.
That groundbreaking visit to the Sudanese rebel camp, initiated by the Jamaican, changed many things between the rebels and the UN, a change that has continued to reap benefits for both groups.
"Quite a while after that day, we got news that a UN vehicle had been stolen by rebels in that part of the desert. We made one phone call to our friends, and the vehicle was immediately returned," Whyte said.
"It shows what engagement and mutual respect can do."
Her two-year mission in Sudan ended in February this year, and Whyte returned home to her job at the complaints division of the
Difficult task
One of her first assignments since she returned has been to help handle mediation between members of the security forces and residents of Tivoli Gardens in west Kingston after May's bloody clash that left more than 70 persons dead.
It is a difficult task, but she plans to use her experiences in Sudan to guide her.
"We have to show genuine respect and love to the people of the community. That's the only way we will begin to understand each other and build trust," she said.
"The rebels in Sudan only needed to know that we were not there to harm them and that we didn't hate them. That allowed them to relax and listen to us. It was then that they started to get it, that we both wanted the same thing, and that's peace."
And in the same way Whyte won over the feared rebels of the Sudanese desert, so, too, is she winning the hearts of the people of Tivoli.
Walking through the community recently, she stopped to offer hugs, warm smiles and kisses to strangers sitting on building stoops and under shady trees.
They have come to know and trust her, coming to her with small requests for help in getting jobs, for small items of food, or just for a listening ear.
"One thing I've learnt is that no matter where in the world you are or what the situation is, everyone needs love and respect. That's the way to end our disconnect with each other. All we need is to show more love," she said.