The mood towards MONUC and the NGOs was overwhelmingly negative. Even though they often employed the locals, they complained about low pay, too low because the goods are now expensive as the roads are blocked by rebels and the army. They complained about the UN dumping only more and more soldiers on Bunia and doing nothing to improve the general infrastructure of the region(except, of course, the paved runway). They complained that the NGOs only stuck to their small mandate, and that there was still not enough help for refugees.
In fact, when talking to local people, the attitude toward the help the outside world gives is generally critical. Few people are optimistic - and being the only white man willing to wander around on foot, I was a popular person to talk with.
I spent three days in Bunia, before taking a flight back to Beni, where I have been since Friday. I spoke to a member of the rarely met, hardly understood rebel group the Mayi-Mayi on saturday, and have been idling since sunday. Today I went to the MONUC office, inquiring about flights to Kinshasa. It's a hard currency only situation here, and I don't have the cash to get to Kinshasa. I have two options, one is a free flight to Kinshasa(the American in the MONUC office to whom I spoke said there was a 5% chance that my plea for a flight with them to Kinshasa would be rejected, so that seems good), the other is for the only commercial airline heading there tomorrow to hold my passport hostage until I can arrive in Kinshasa and pull another couple hundred bucks off my card and give it to them. However, the boss of that airline was less than amicable, and I'd prefer the free MONUC flight for obvious reasons - though I would have to wait yet another day here in Beni, and lose another day of visiting Kinshasa.
Seeing other towns is also a bit of a problem. Heading south to Butembo, the closest town with an open road connection, is a three hour journey - and it gets dark here at six o'clock. That also rules out tomorrow, since I need to be here in the morning to discover the decision for this MONUC flight. North and then east to Kisangani has been abandoned, and no one here knows of any route west. The only way to cross this country right now is by air - or if you had your own vehicle, and about half a year and twenty thousand dollars, it might be feasible.
It just means more time here in Beni. If you want to draw a map of Beni, draw a straight line up and down. Draw a slight curve at the top. You're done.
