Bukavu -- DRC

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Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:47 pm

First post to the board. It's good to be here. Trying to get some current info on Bukavu in DRC and/or general DRC input. Have been invited to do some trauma intervention work with a Canadian NGO. This would be in August/Sept of 2012. I'm an American and a graduate psychology student. I currently work with GWOT Vets with PTSD, thus the invite to work with a community affected by the war and violence over there. Never traveled to Africa previously though do speak decent French. Spent some time in low-level DPs about the globe (never Africa) and have logged a lot of time in some fairly intense situations. Not too worried about my own capacities, just don't know a ton about the location and how to get decent info/intel about what's happening on the ground. I'm not going with a big NGO (basically as a consultant with another colleague from Canada) so don't have a lot of coverage, support, logistics from that end. If I choose to go, I need to figure out logistics and make judgements on my own. Which is how I travel even if someone else has it all "figured" for me. Thanks in advance to everyone.

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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby Tacos » Wed Dec 28, 2011 8:36 pm

PM to SRR he is our DRC expert. I was near there a few years ago, but things change daily there so my information is old now.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:53 pm

Awesome. Thanks Tacos. Will follow up on the PM.

Cheers,

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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby marie-angelique » Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:15 am

if he doesn't respond here you might find him on Polo's Bastards.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby Dr. V » Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:57 am

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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:23 pm

Thanks for the SRR chase down info. Hopped on to PBs to post a note there as well. Looked up the book link -- looks like it has not yet released but thanks for that too. Possible a photog I know from the UK knows him. Thanks, everybody. Can't PM him from here as I'm not yet activated to send messages. Shot admin a note.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:33 pm

Thanks for the further DRC/SRR info. The book looks great though appears to not be out just yet. I'll keep an eye out for it. Read the review for the old one. Just joined PBs as well. May know a photog in the UK who knows SRR since he hops around Africa a fair bit too.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby Dr. V » Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:02 pm

Look for the first edition - that is defiantly out I bought if for Svizz last (?) Christmas
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby Kurt » Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:16 pm

Hey TWB. Try sending PMs now.

We limit PMs for new users so ...cicumstances..do not happen again and also sometimes new users are spammers.

You are obviously not, so I changed the settings.

You gotta make one more moderator approved post though.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:03 pm

Thanks Kurt for fipping the switch on. I swear I won't post any, "Miracle Weight Loss Pill" links in the first few weeks. . .Vlindsay, good reminder on the previous edition; that would be helpful too. Really looking for current info from that specific region/town. Looking like I'm nipping at SRRs heels for some direct contact. Thanks everyone. Super responsive community. Appreciated.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby vagabond » Sun Jan 01, 2012 9:25 am

twb wrote:Thanks Kurt for fipping the switch on. I swear I won't post any, "Miracle Weight Loss Pill" links in the first few weeks. . .Vlindsay, good reminder on the previous edition; that would be helpful too. Really looking for current info from that specific region/town. Looking like I'm nipping at SRRs heels for some direct contact. Thanks everyone. Super responsive community. Appreciated.


Yeah, the first edition is out, not sure about the most recent. Good luck in your efforts. Seems like an interesting trip and SRR is a stand-up guy vs the rest of the miscreants here.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:45 am

vagabond -- Thanks. Heard from SRR about two hours after I PMd him. I'll try to wrangle a copy of the book -- either edition. I've got the SRR direct link so that will be super helpful moving forward. Also connected with a career aid worker contact who has spent time there. Things sound pretty good right now. SRR made the clear point that things can change fast and radically which makes sense. Again, thanks to the BFC community for such helpful, reasoned and connected advice.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby nowonmai » Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:36 am

How not to escape from prison in Bukavu.


Botched Congo prison break explosion kills 11

Inmate 'did not know how to use a grenade,' official says

CBC News

Posted: Jan 1, 2012 6:00 PM ET

A botched jail break involving a hand grenade in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed 11 inmates and hurt dozens of others, police officials said Sunday.

The deadly incident at Bukavu Central prison in eastern Congo injured at least 48 people when a prisoner, intending to use the explosive to blow open the gates to escape, held onto it for too long, officials said.

The grenade instead detonated in the prisoner's hands after he pulled the pin around 8 a.m. Sunday.

Gaston Luzembo, a provincial police commissioner, told the Reuters news agency that an inmate named Gwigwi passed the weapon to another prisoner with instructions to use it to blast the prison gates open.

"He did not know how to use a grenade and instead he just held it and it went off, killing and injuring other prisoners," Luzembo said.

The man holding the grenade was taken to hospital with serious injuries, he added.

Following the blast, televised images showed bloodied men being taken to ambulances.

The notorious and overcrowded Bukavu Central prison is a pre-colonial compound. Most of the inmates are serving time for violent crimes.
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Re: Bukavu -- DRC

Postby twb » Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:16 pm

The deadly incident at Bukavu Central prison in eastern Congo injured at least 48 people when a prisoner, intending to use the explosive to blow open the gates to escape, held onto it for too long, officials said
.




Excellent. Hopefully won't have to log time in a Bukavu Prison nor bust out of one but if so and I can trade smokes for a grenade, I shant let it cook as long as this guy before blasting the gates.
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