Tuesday at the summit
Your average AU conference, as a rule, is chaos. AU heads of state meetings, meanshile, are like Chaos's teenage son... Where to start? I'll just take up where I left off. I went to the Ghion hotel for my accrediation on Sunday evening. They hadn't got it. Was it in the pile of soon-to-be-made ones? They didn't want to say. All of a sudden all the tricks I've picked up trying to get into cool clubs are useful in a new setting. Never give up. Smile like you've been lobotomised. Never, ever, antagonise the gatekeeper. It was looking bleak, however when up turns my guardian angel - Profesor Murenzi, science minister of Rwanda. He puts in a good word for me and hey presto, my registration is at the top of the pile. It's good to know ministers.
The dinner on Sunday was, I found out when I met Calestous at the improbably luxurious Sheraton hotel, not a tete-a-tete. Instead he'd roped me along to this thing organised by the New Partnerhip for Africa's Development (NEPAD) where 30-odd people from the science community in Africa had been hand-picked to chat about important stuff. Calestous charmed them into adding a chair at the top end of the table for me to perch next to him and we did the interview for the Guardian there - to the great chagrin I'm sure of people like the head of science at Nepad who might have wanted to have him to themselves.
Satisfied I'd got the interview in the bag, the following day I planned to focus on the summit. I got up at 6.30 and made my way to the conference venue at 7. I'd been told to expect big queues, but there wasn't one. Although people who arrived after me said they were held up at security so I guess I was just the early bird who got the proverbial worm.
As a result I was wandering around fairly aimlessly in the summit building until I found a sign with the promising words 'PRESS BAR' written on it. That's where I'm hanging out now. Say what you want about this conference, but they've got good coffee and croissants.
It was quite a rush to see the leaders file in all bonhomie and backslapping. Mbeki was there, as was Gadafi. Allegedly he'd brought two bags of gold as "gifts" to his peers, but they were confiscated in customs while the offiicals tried to work out whether it was legal to bring bullion into the country as hand luggage. I've taken pics (Linda got a bit star struck) and I'll post them when I get home and dig out the right kind of cable.
The press pack was here in full yesterday morning. They've all ebbed off now as the big story - who would be the next chair of the AU (Sudan was up for it but due to their penchant for genocide they've had the honour taken away from them in favour of goody-goody Ghana) - was over at about 4.30 pm yesterday.
I don't like the press pack, but it fascinates me. The groomed but very single-minded TV anchors, the huge turnout of local African press thirsting for an exclusive word from their leader, the Reuters and CNN people expert in soundbite journalism. They work on some sort of hive mind, adding only bits themselves to the whole that is the story as you guys read it. Although there are some fascinating characters. I was quite chuffed to see Jon Snow from Channel 4 walk past, crew in tow. They're sending live from here apparently.
I also had the privilege to sit next to this AFP hack in the press gallery. French to the teeth he seemed to be able to saunter in and out of the actual plenary hall (which was pretty harsh on journos entering), chatting to leaders and bigshots, returning to his seat only to break exclusive stories in between drags on his Gauloises. My deadlines must seem like lifetimes to these mayflies.
Most of the science stuff happened last night. Today I need to sort my stuff out for tomorrow. I need to gather proof that I've been actually attending the conference in case they decide to stop me on the way out due to my lack of visa. There will be an exodus of biblical proportions at the airport tomorrow and I know for a fact I wasn't the only one waves past immigration so hopefully they won't be too surprised. Anyway, paperwork helps. Or maybe I can get hold of my minister to vouch for me. Yes, that might be an idea...
The dinner on Sunday was, I found out when I met Calestous at the improbably luxurious Sheraton hotel, not a tete-a-tete. Instead he'd roped me along to this thing organised by the New Partnerhip for Africa's Development (NEPAD) where 30-odd people from the science community in Africa had been hand-picked to chat about important stuff. Calestous charmed them into adding a chair at the top end of the table for me to perch next to him and we did the interview for the Guardian there - to the great chagrin I'm sure of people like the head of science at Nepad who might have wanted to have him to themselves.
Satisfied I'd got the interview in the bag, the following day I planned to focus on the summit. I got up at 6.30 and made my way to the conference venue at 7. I'd been told to expect big queues, but there wasn't one. Although people who arrived after me said they were held up at security so I guess I was just the early bird who got the proverbial worm.
As a result I was wandering around fairly aimlessly in the summit building until I found a sign with the promising words 'PRESS BAR' written on it. That's where I'm hanging out now. Say what you want about this conference, but they've got good coffee and croissants.
It was quite a rush to see the leaders file in all bonhomie and backslapping. Mbeki was there, as was Gadafi. Allegedly he'd brought two bags of gold as "gifts" to his peers, but they were confiscated in customs while the offiicals tried to work out whether it was legal to bring bullion into the country as hand luggage. I've taken pics (Linda got a bit star struck) and I'll post them when I get home and dig out the right kind of cable.
The press pack was here in full yesterday morning. They've all ebbed off now as the big story - who would be the next chair of the AU (Sudan was up for it but due to their penchant for genocide they've had the honour taken away from them in favour of goody-goody Ghana) - was over at about 4.30 pm yesterday.
I don't like the press pack, but it fascinates me. The groomed but very single-minded TV anchors, the huge turnout of local African press thirsting for an exclusive word from their leader, the Reuters and CNN people expert in soundbite journalism. They work on some sort of hive mind, adding only bits themselves to the whole that is the story as you guys read it. Although there are some fascinating characters. I was quite chuffed to see Jon Snow from Channel 4 walk past, crew in tow. They're sending live from here apparently.
I also had the privilege to sit next to this AFP hack in the press gallery. French to the teeth he seemed to be able to saunter in and out of the actual plenary hall (which was pretty harsh on journos entering), chatting to leaders and bigshots, returning to his seat only to break exclusive stories in between drags on his Gauloises. My deadlines must seem like lifetimes to these mayflies.
Most of the science stuff happened last night. Today I need to sort my stuff out for tomorrow. I need to gather proof that I've been actually attending the conference in case they decide to stop me on the way out due to my lack of visa. There will be an exodus of biblical proportions at the airport tomorrow and I know for a fact I wasn't the only one waves past immigration so hopefully they won't be too surprised. Anyway, paperwork helps. Or maybe I can get hold of my minister to vouch for me. Yes, that might be an idea...
posted by Linda at 10:13
3 Comments:
Hey Linda,
Sounds like a hoot! Glad to hear the work's going well and that you've been well-stocked in croissants and coffee at the conference, essential hack fuel, I say. Shame you didn't get your hands on any gold bullion, mind you...
kel
Linda! Mbeki and Gadafi!! You are really meeting the "creme de la creme" of Africa. Must be as frustrating as it is exciting the way it sounds. Take care, Dad
Interesting to know.
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