Our small plane touches down on time at the small aerodrome in the town of Kaga-Bandoro. Aerodrome sounds rather grand for this dried-mud airstrip in the middle of the Central African bush. But this one-hour plane ride has just saved us a day’s driving, with the constant risk of road barriers erected by rebels who are heavily armed and have no qualms about shooting first. Plus this is the only aerodrome in the Central African Republic (CAR) with its own restaurant, selling the best curried chicken.
We’ve landed to refuel the plane, which takes about 45 minutes – and I desperately need the toilet. There’s a UN military base, with facilities, just beyond the airstrip. When I reach the entrance, two foreign UN peacekeepers (known locally as ‘Casques bleus’ or ‘blue helmets’) smile at me. I speak to them in French; they frown and shake their heads. Ah.
