East Africa to West...dream or difficult reality?

[Todd & Christina]

We are in Uganada now...plan to go Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan...BUT can we ride into Southern Sudan (or is it at all possible to take boat transport via Nile River from Khartoum to Juba??!) and into CAR?

researching situation in both Southern Sudan and CAR but nothing concrete yet or recent. We've heard CAR is a no-go, same with SS, but they haven't been there, just heresay.

please help.
T&T

[Frank Warner]

Ummm .. heard of Dafur?

UN withdraws staff from Dafur - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

UN withdraws staff from Dafur. Posted July 15, 2008 18:37:00. The United Nations is withdrawing all non-essential staff from the Sudanese region of Darfur,

[slep_afrika]

Hey T&C,

in 05/06 we came from west to east via CAR and South Sudan. It is defenetly not easy but doable if you keep your eyes open. We've been there at a time when the LRA was around and a tribal conflict between the Asande and the Dinka was at its peak with some deads in almost every village. Luckily we were able to avoid these places at the right time. The time is the only parameter you are able to determine cause there is only one road... if you like to call it a road. The worse part of it is in CAR between Obo and Bambouti, 110Km which is not more then a trekking path. Maybe not more then 20 vehicles per year are passing this section, UNICEF or MSF.
You should avoid the rainy season. Guess the best time is late december or beginning of january.
Some further information about needed time, accomodations and road conditions here and here .

Things to check:
Situation of the LRA (should be ok now)
New battles between the SPLA and Khartoum forces.
www.cape2cape.no for the way Khartoum-Juba-Yei

Cheers Peter

[milan kraus]

Hi all,
i'm very interested in this part.. so, is the border between Uganda and Sudan open? and the road to Juba??
thanks
Milan

[slep_afrika]

Yes the border is open. All you need is a Travel Permit which you might recieve at the splm-bureau in Nairobi or Kampala. Maybe you will also get it at the border directly. We came from the other direction and got one directly at the CAR border. In the northern part of Uganda espacially in Gulu as well as in the sudan rgion next to DRC there was the LRA around, this calmed down at the moment. Juba is a very expensive place to stay because of all the ngos. The road to Juba is ok but check first if it is safe. A good place to do that is Arua.

Cheers Peter

[StevenD]

I spend all of march 2008 traveling from Kenya, lockichogio into south sudan and then to Kharthoum. here's a bit of the things i learned
route: loki, Juba, BOR, Waat, malakal, west around Nuba mountains, el obeid, kharthoum.

The border there is open and it's quite doable to get the permit for south sudan in Nairoby. However the visa for northern sudan will not be stamped here, which is going to be the big problem when crossing in to north sudan.
We found no way to stamp it in the south so just moved on (were told to stamp uppon crossing in to the north as well) but did not happen.
I see no legal way to cros south to north.

Probably crossing in to the south from north will be less problematic IF the northern road block's allow you to proceed down, they probably wont! But... pm me for a road without roadblock (and apperrently no mines, at least i did not find them), the next problem... mines.
The route described by UN road trans guy's is not mined and or cleared though. but that one is blocked by a LOT of checkpoint's.

If you decide to do just the south i believen you'l be OK, just prepare for a hard time with the SPLA/M and very paranoid people on the way. Your basically still traveling war zone in some places.

Border to Kenya is open, border with uganda and CAR is open and even DRC i think is open, basically your free to do what you want there, so be smart in what you WANT to do.

Traveling there, the best thing to do is know the local SPLM leader (commissioner) There are sat phone's around and a call will be made, so dont make your story up, talk to the guy, you will find them very helpfull and usually fun as well. giving the local SPLArmy a name and business card of the county commissioner will help you A LOT!

Feel free to pm/mail post questions on my route if you go in!
I had a great time there, but is was real hard and tricky at some point's. i'm afraid i crossed quite an arrea of mined and uncleared zone becouse of circumstanced.

[Ekke]

We are glad you made it Steven! (We met at Jungle Junction as we were going down and you up) It sounds like quite an adventure.

Too bad we didn't hook up Todd and Christina! I think we exchanged e-mails in Namibia. Good luck with this portion of the trip.


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