Funny story...unless you were part of it...

I would like to apologise to all those who might be reading this and are aware of this purely fictional incident and may not find it as amusing as I do. Any resemblance to characters living or dead is coincidental...although all of them lived, for the record.

Once upon a time I got a phone call from an NGO who had people involved in a security incident in which there were reports of heavy gunfire. Their field compound was smack in the middle of the action and their HQ located in a town - let's call it Luba - called me to see what can be done. Now, everyone knows that you shouldn't call me unless you want me to do something and, after more unsuccessful attempts on their part to get someone mobilised in the field area to go check on their compound, they gave me permission to do this.

Well, low and behold, we (note: change of pronouns not related to disseminating blame) managed to get the 'army' mobilised to go and check the area. Unfortunately, they found themselves without a vehicle. And any army without a vehicle is going to do what all self-respecting army would do which is go to another NGO, point a gun at them and demand their vehicle. Which is what they did. The other NGO did what any self-respecting NGO would do and refused to let guys with guns abscond with their vehicles. This meant that these staff were arrested.

All spiralling quickly out of control. Now two NGOs are in trouble.

But, at that very moment the comms from NGO 1 went back up and they could contact their HQ to say that they're fine although there was still fighting. About that time the SPLA rooked up in vehicle absconded with from NGO2. Recap: NGO1 safe; NGO2 now reporting stolen vehicle and staff detained in police station.

More intervention led to their release without actually endangering any other NGOs. A fact of which I'm very proud. But, the moral of the story is that sometimes you can't solve one security incident without creating another and that's just a fact of life...and not my fault.

Comments

Kathy said…
My life is so boring . . .
David Cuthbert said…
And the vehicle? Whatever happened to it?
nhn said…
I don't find that very ethical. But I would probably do the same thing in that situations.
Unknown said…
This might be shocking...if it came from someone else!
Great taking the time to build clear the terminlogy into the inexperienced persons!

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