Visita do presidente

As I'm a first-timer to Niassa and somewhat on the periphery of the work in the reserve, I have been spared involvement in the frenetic logistics put in place in recent days for the visit of the Environment Minister and President. Arrangements for helicopters, protocols and his entourage have entailed much scampering around and panicked Whatsapping by many people.

It's pleasing to say that the groundwork yesterday, during which everyone aligned on key issues and directions, paid off during the President's visit. The Chief Park Warden and others presented updates and the President was unassuming and forthright in his commitment and beliefs in conservation. The list of principles adopted yesterday by the stakeholders, which we jokingly named the Lugenda Declaration after the camp we're in, stands us in good stead to move forward collaboratively. My involvement has begun at a positive time.

The key donor present and the President had all the fun after lunch as they joined a field unit darting elephants from helicopters in order to fit collars for tracking. The rest of us sweated it out, quite literally, in camp.

Some shenanigans ensued as the President's entourage decided they wanted to depart in two helicopters instead of one helicopter and a light aircraft. To have the luxury of making such demands is a world I'll likely never know. Logistics are incredibly complicated somewhere as remote as Niassa, yet the demand was catered for. It was unfortunate to receive an update later that one of the helicopters (not the one carrying the President) had had to land halfway between Niassa and Pemba on the Indian Ocean coast, due to fuel issues. Half of the entourage faced an uncomfortable night sitting it out in a helicopter in the bush until they were rescued by an intervention by the governor of Cabo Delgado Province (of which Pemba is the capital). We breathed a sigh of relief.

Walking to our tents at bedtime (think spacious with beds and fans, not cubby holes that require crawling), the Director of the National Protected Areas Administration, Mateus, stuck to me as his tent is one further from mine. He was peering around carefully with his torch, checking for dangerous wildlife and when I reached mine, showed little willingness to walk on alone. I took him halfway and scurried back, mindful of Niassa's status as a critical lion location with a healthy population.

A rather unique Friday.