Boom And Bust for the Town That Thrived On War

Charles Omondi And Barnabas Bii

27 April 2011

Nairobi — Life blossomed in the border town of Lokichoggio as the civil war in Sudan caused untold misery and hardship.

But after the war ended in 2005, peace brought not a dividend for the town, but the start of what amounts to a lingering death.

For Loki, as the town is fondly known, is becoming irrelevant as the need for massive relief operations in the former rebel-held territory of South Sudan is fast diminishing.

Having voted overwhelmingly for separation from the North in the January referendum, South Sudan is poised to become Africa’s youngest state by July this year.

And like other sovereign states, South Sudan will be expected to organise its transport links with other countries, by air, road, water or railway without being dependent on its neighbours.

At the height of the Sudan war, believed to have caused the deaths of at least 2 million people, Loki played a critical role for the survival of the southern Sudanese.

It was the main base camp for the Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS). The consortium of five UN agencies and 41 NGOs was created in 1989 to provide emergency relief in Sudan in the aftermath of the deaths of more than 300,000 people in 1988 in the war related famine in Bahr el Ghazal.

UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar put Mr James P. Grant, the executive director of Unicef, in charge of a special relief operation. OLS’s initial investment in Lokichoggio was $336,000 (Sh26.8 million) with a monthly operating cost of $46,000 (Sh3.68 million).

One of the major areas of investment was Loki airport. Air access to South Sudan was critical because the few roads that existed were in a poor state. Some were heavily mined and were also prone to attacks by bandits. Many were impassable during the rains.

With its accessibility, Loki attracted organisations and individuals in droves. Soon, the former dusty, hot and isolated location, inhabited mostly by Turkana nomads, evolved into a melting pot of people whose backgrounds were as diverse as their interests.

At least 50 NGOs had bases in Loki as did several religious organisations that were involved in an assortment of work in the then rebel SPLM/A territory.

The business community was not left behind, with several airlines opening offices in the town, only 30km from the Sudan border.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ran a major orthopaedic hospital in Loki, dedicated mostly to repairing the broken limbs of war victims.

Another milestone in the transformation of Loki was the opening by Total Kenya of a Sh100 million aviation depot and filling station with a capacity of 700,000 litres.

In order not to incur the wrath of the local people who would feel alienated as all attention was focused on the Sudanese and their war, a number of NGOs established some operations aimed at improving local people’s welfare.

A few more schools, boreholes and livestock extension services were opened for the Turkana.

Global TV channels

Loki had all the trappings of a modern settlement. While there, you could touch base with the rest of the world via global television channels such as CNN, BBC and Sky News, courtesy of the pay channel DSTV.

You could have your beer or non-alcoholic beverages served at just the right temperature while conducting business online. A wide range of world cuisines was readily available.

At the peak of the relief operations – from 1998 to 2000 – Loki airport was said to be busier than even Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

But now it is no longer busy. It handles fewer than 10 flights a day, compared with more than 100 at the height of the Sudan charity operation.

The casual workers who had been hired by the airlines have been axed. And today, Loki itself is a ghost town. Most of the humanitarian agencies have closed, resulting in massive unemployment.

“This town is on the verge of collapse,” said Paul Louren, a Lokichoggio councillor. Monthly revenue to the town council, he said, had fallen from more than Sh1 million when the NGOs were operating to less than Sh60,000.

Humanitarian agencies that have moved out of Loki include various sections of the United Nations, the World Food Programme and the Kenya Red Cross Society and hotel operators.

“The organisations offered employment to most of our youths but all that is now lost as they pack and leave,” said Mr Louren.

“Most of them have moved to South Sudan where their services are needed now there is peace.”

And Mr Ekutan Ekai, a trader in the town, added: “The circulation of money is at its lowest point. Most people who depended on the NGOs for their livelihood have been driven to economic hardship after they lost their main source of income.”

Mr Shadrack Ekipetot, another trader, said: “The town is a shadow of itself. It is no longer vibrant as it was when international humanitarian bodies operated from the area.”

Lopiding sub-district hospital, built by the International Committee of Red Crescent (ICRC) now lies vandalised in the middle of the desert. Transport and hotel businesses have not been spared by the economic meltdown.

“It is no longer viable to operate business here. The purchasing power of the locals has dropped drastically,” said Mr Lelimo Pelekech, a transporter.

He has been forced to scale down his business and sack most of his workers. Hotels such as Kate Camp, California, and Tourist Interact 786 among others are recording low bookings or have been sold.

However, there has been an upside too with some businesses and schools and colleges taking advantage of the vacant building space.

The University of Nairobi, for example, has set up a satellite campus at the former United Nations compound where Kenya Commercial Bank has also established a branch.

A similar fate is likely hit Kakuma Town on the Kenya-South Sudan highway as refugees who formed majority of the customers return to their new country.

But the UNHCR spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Nyabera, believes Loki’s loss of relevance could be temporary.

In the event of a peaceful and prosperous South Sudan, Loki could still play a vital role in trade between Kenya and the nascent state, said Mr Nyabera.

He named Loki’s all-season airport and the road access from the Kenyan side to Sudan’s border point of Nadapal as reasons for hope.

Indeed, many investors who want to serve the South Sudan market are hoping to set up base in the former boomtown that has currently gone bust.

AllAfrica – All the Time