People who have worked in Africa have a deep understanding.

Many people think that diplomatic work is a beautiful job, and they can go abroad to broaden their horizons. It's really leisurely to greet guests and give gifts every day. On the surface, it is true, but the hardships of diplomatic work are unimaginable to outsiders. In addition to the danger of coup, the differences in geographical environment and living conditions often bring distress and inconvenience to diplomats. People who have worked in Africa will be particularly deep.

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Egypt-Cairo

My first stop on African soil was Egypt, and the first city I arrived in was Cairo, which was the only way to Somalia. Egypt's ancient and magnificent pyramids, the Sphinx, and the exquisite and spectacular grand mosque have left an unforgettable impression on me.

02

Nairobi National Park, Kenya

The second city I arrived in was Nairobi, the Kenyan capital (the word "Nairobi" means "cool place"). It is a modern garden-style city with lush vegetation, flowers everywhere, neat and quiet, and it is a summer resort. The National Nature Wildlife Park attracts every visitor. We sat in the jeep and passed the fierce lion freely and safely. Giraffes, like gentlemen, don't care about us, but look up high and eat the young leaves on the branches. The most exciting thing is chasing herds of zebras, antelopes and wild boars. We are both nervous and happy, as if we were children again. When we visited the Rift Valley and coffee plantations, the spectacular scenery and fresh air were intoxicating and unforgettable.

In the spacious courtyard of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, I was fascinated by a large number of beautiful and colorful roses.

My first impression of Africa was beautiful.

03

Africa spans the northern and southern hemispheres and the equator crosses the central part of the continent, so it is called "plateau continent", "tropical continent" and "arid continent". The situation in Somalia, Sudan and Kenya that I have been to is very different. The weather is hot and dry, with less vegetation and more deserts. Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, is a famous "world stove". The highest temperature can reach 70℃. Generally, when the thermometer is in the sun, the mercury in it will break through the glass tube. Sometimes when you go out for activities, you can't find the shade when you park, so you can only park in the sun for a while. The car is like an oven. If the driver doesn't wear gloves, his hands will be burned by the steering wheel or door handle. Once my husband attended a ceremony and spent a long time in the sun, with several blisters on his forehead.

Khartoum

Because of the hot weather, Khartoum people sleep outdoors for seven months a year. We live in an air-conditioned room for eight months a year, which is very harmful to people's health.

Khartoum has the highest temperature from May to July, and there are frequent sandstorms. Locals call it "Habbub". There are an average of 24 "Habubs" in Khartoum every year. The big "Habubu" is fierce. After the flying sand left, the sandstorm came, the sky was dark and the traffic was interrupted. We hide in the house, close the doors and windows, or suffocate. Later, although the window seam was posted, I still had to wear a mask. When the sandstorm comes, you can't turn on the air conditioner. The sultry smell is really unbearable. After the sandstorm, there was yellow sand everywhere outside, which was a miserable scene.

Strong sandstorm weather in Khartoum, Sudan

Once, we planned to hold a film reception on the lawn. The venue was just arranged in the afternoon, and in the evening, "Habubu" suddenly came. We had to wait for it to pass, wash the lawn and tables and chairs with water and rearrange them. As a result, only three guests came that night: a couple with a child.

04

Somalia

Somalia has a tropical climate, which is hot and dry with few vegetables. The local area is rich in bananas and papaya, and the price is cheap. I like eating papaya. I eat a lot every day. As a result, I was yellow all over. When I was on vacation, I went to Beijing Hospital for examination, and the nurse isolated me as a patient with jaundice and hepatitis. After the doctor checked the literature, it was proved that it was caused by ingesting a lot of carotene (papaya contains a lot of carotene). The main fruit in Sudan is watermelon, which is big and sweet, but it is more expensive. The canteen only gives each person a watermelon at noon every day. Because there was no food, I chewed watermelon skin with some comrades who loved vegetables until there was a layer of skin left.

Because the climate is not suitable and the nutrition is not balanced, there are many embassy staff with hair loss and white hair. Some young people began to go bald before they got married. I'm just in my early forties, and I have a lot of white hair and hair loss on my head.

Puerto berbera

There is another thing in Somalia that I will never forget: at that time, it was widely rumored that the Soviet Union had a military base in the port of Berbera in Somalia, and we really wanted to find an opportunity to visit it. Out of the friendship between the two countries, the Somali authorities made an exception and agreed to my husband's visit to Baigang. 1966 One day, my wife and I went with two other comrades.

When you go to Baigang, you will pass through a big desert, and the hot air blowing on your face will burn your face like a flame. After arriving in Hong Kong, we stayed in the only local "hotel". There is no air conditioning in the room, just like entering a big oven. Everything around us is very hot, and so is the bed. Sleeping on it is like baking bread. We joked that it would burn if we lay down again, and it wouldn't be cool to run into the yard. People are thirsty with heat, but there is no water anywhere, and there is not a drop of water in the tap water pipe. There is no one in the hotel except the four of us. In desperation, we searched everywhere and finally found a piece of ice in a broken refrigerator. Without considering hygiene, the ice was divided into small pieces, and everyone took a piece and looked at each other's mess. It looked ridiculous when they chewed it. This is the first time in my life that I have experienced the taste of "hot death" and "thirst death".

05

Speaking of suffering, the suffering of African people is beyond ordinary people's imagination.

1972 In March, the north and south of Sudan ended the civil war that lasted for 17 years and realized the peaceful reunification of the whole country. Soon, my husband and I went to southern Sudan. The southernmost part of Sudan has a tropical rain forest climate with abundant rainfall and dense forests, and full of green is everywhere. Mango trees are full of huge fruits. But all this failed to cover up the scars left by colonial rule and long-term civil war.

Along the way, we saw many malnourished children, with slender limbs, swollen abdomen, navel protruding like a balloon (medically called umbilical hernia), and naked men working in the fields or sitting on the roadside. Topless girls and young women dragged their children to the roadside to watch us repair the car. Because I am a doctor, wherever I go, I will go to the hospital whenever I have the chance. We visited a hospital in Juba. There I saw tropical diseases that I had never seen before, even in books, and I was impressed.

Filariasis: I only had book knowledge about this disease before. At that time, most of the male filariasis patients in South Sudan showed scrotal elephantiasis. Scrotal swelling, such as a bag full of things, weighs more than ten kilograms or even dozens of kilograms. The patient can't sit and lie down, but he can only kneel on the bed with his legs apart, which is miserable. Treatment, surgical removal of a part, but not radical.

Rot: The cause of this disease is unknown. According to the preliminary analysis, it may be that the acupuncture of wild plants punctured the skin and brought a virus into the human body. After a long incubation period, the skin began to rot and spread to the whole body. At that time, there was no specific treatment and it was considered as an incurable disease.

Nematode disease: Most of the patients I saw were born in lower limbs. White slender nematode with its head exposed through the skin. Doctors or patients themselves can use matchsticks to gently wind 1 2 times a day, and slowly pull the worms out of the body. A worm is several centimeters to dozens of centimeters long. If you pull it quickly, it will break the bug and you can't pull it out again.

In addition, falciparum malaria is a common perennial epidemic in Africa. The prognosis of malignant attack of falciparum malaria is often poor, which often leads to death or sequelae. Among the four African countries I have been to, Somalia and Sudan have the worst malaria epidemic. We should hang mosquito nets all the year round and take antimalarial drugs once a week. The environment and living conditions of the embassy are good. As long as you insist on hanging mosquito nets and taking preventive medicine, there are very few patients. Most of the embassy staff I met suffered from high fever and falciparum malaria, and all of them were cured due to timely treatment. Only a young receptionist at the embassy in Sudan suffered from cerebral falciparum malaria, leaving a sequela-dementia.

Our foreign aid workers, especially the China medical team members working in South Sudan, have too many chances of being bitten by mosquitoes because of their poor living environment, and many people are infected with falciparum malaria, which has seriously damaged their health.

The heat and drought in Africa are really distressing. However, the warm and hearty personality of the African people and the beautiful scenery of the African continent also give us warmth and joy.

06

/kloc-in October, Premier Zhou Enlai arrived in Mali.

China attaches great importance to developing relations with African countries. From February 1963 to February 1964, Premier Zhou Enlai and Vice Premier Chen Yi visited ten African countries successively. During the visit, five principles and eight principles of foreign economy were put forward to guide China to develop friendly and cooperative relations with African countries, sowing the seeds of peace and friendship, which was of great significance and far-reaching influence.

In Somalia and Sudan, people will shout "Zhou Enlai" when they meet China people to show their friendship with China. Our country has provided assistance to African countries within its capacity. Similarly, in international affairs and economic construction, China has also received strong support from African countries, especially African countries, and has made unremitting efforts and made important contributions to restoring China's legitimate seat in the United Nations.

The scene of China's return to the United Nations

The Chinese and African people have supported and helped each other and won the hearts of the people. I have been with Africans for more than ten years, and I am deeply touched. Here are two true stories:

During the period of 1964, our Somali medical team (dispatched from Shanghai) worked in martino Hospital in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. One day, I saw a dying woman lying in the corridor of the hospital, and her husband was anxiously guarding her. Some foreign doctors working in the hospital shook their heads and walked away. The obstetrician and gynecologist of China Medical Team made a detailed examination of the patient, and the diagnosis was that the delivery was horizontal from the beginning. Due to the long delay, the patient is in a dangerous state and will die if he is not rescued. If he is actively rescued, there is still a glimmer of hope. The team decided to carry out emergency rescue-mainly by obstetricians and gynecologists, with the cooperation of other departments, and immediately carry out laparotomy. With the joint efforts of doctors and nurses, the mother and son were out of danger and saved.

This incident caused a sensation in the capital. Dr China's humanitarian spirit of saving lives was widely praised. A few months later, accompanied by her husband, the pregnant woman came to the China Embassy with a robust little boy to express her gratitude and took a group photo with my wife and the medical team as a souvenir.

1966, also in martino hospital. A boy with valvular constrictive heart disease has been in hospital for a long time. The Italian doctor wanted to operate on him, but he couldn't make up his mind and didn't act. Dr China decided to operate on him. The embassy actively supported the decision of the medical team and reminded that in order to ensure the success of the operation, it is necessary to protect the sick children. After careful planning and adequate preparation, the operation began.

To be on the safe side, the blood for the sick child was drawn directly from his relatives by Dr. China. The operation was successful! But it's only half done Postoperative care to ensure the safe recovery of sick children still needs efforts. The second battle began. All medical teams are on duty 24 hours a day. The patients' food and drinks are sent by their families or medical teams. At the same time, the medical team has to take care of other patients. They are too hard. The comrades in the embassy have always supported them and participated in the guardian work. Due to my limited position, I can't take part in the work I really want to do. I don't know how many days and nights passed, and finally one day, the sick child was discharged from the hospital healthily.

"Dr. China is a great doctor!" People in Mogadishu tell stories to each other, and the capital is a huge sensation. Here, it was the first time to have a heart operation, and it was successful. Can people not be excited? Can Dr. China not be moved by his superb medical skills and noble character of serving patients wholeheartedly? The hard work of the medical team has won honor for the motherland and the trust and love of the Somali people. Even Somali President Osman took Dr. China with him when he visited abroad. China medical team has made positive contributions to the friendship and cooperation between the two peoples and created favorable conditions for the embassy to carry out its work.

The joy of success and the warmth of friendship inspire us, and we often forget the heat and suffering.

07

Gate of China Embassy in Somalia

(Photo by Li Xinfeng in 2004)

Wherever we go in Somalia, we will feel the warmth of friendship. 1965, which coincided with March 8th International Women's Day, I went to Suo and held the first March 8th commemoration. Unexpectedly, President Osman's wife and Prime Minister's wife were present, and several ministers' wives also took their children to the embassy to participate in activities. The ladies visited the Chinese embroidery and handicrafts on display with great interest. The president's wife said that she had never participated in the activities of other embassies. This is the first time for her to participate in the activities of the China Embassy, and it is also the first time for ladies to participate in activities commemorating March 8th. I am very happy. She pointed to the big exquisite embroidery and said, unbelievable, this is hand-embroidered. It's beautiful!

1966 One day, the two wives of the Speaker of the Somali Parliament visited me at the embassy with gifts without an appointment. Their enthusiasm and simplicity deeply touched me. Soon, I paid a return visit to the speaker's wife. They received me warmly and kindly, took me through the hall and visited their official residences one by one, including all the bedrooms. This kind of friendly action is the first time in my diplomatic career.

There was another friendly visit, which I will never forget. At that time, my husband and secretary and I visited other places accompanied by Somali friends. When we were near our destination, it suddenly rained heavily. The local host was very happy, holding our hands and cheering "Rob is coming" (Suo language, meaning "Rain God"). Because there is little rain all the year round, if it rains when the guests come, it is the two gods who bring happy rain. But the title of "Rain God" has never been given to women. This time, people enthusiastically called me "Miss Rob" (Rain God). This gives me great honor and warms my heart.

08

During our work in four African countries, we felt that the leaders of these countries were relatively accessible. My husband has more contacts with heads of state and speaks the same language. I remember once Sudanese President Nemeri drove to the ambassador's residence alone. At that time, Lao Yang was in his office. I didn't expect Nemery to come suddenly, so I hurried to see him. President Nemeri said that he wanted to talk to Ambassador Yang.

internal conflict

During his stay in Sudan, the Special Envoy was very happy to go with President Nemeri. My most vivid memory is that Nemery and I were invited to attend the Sudan Independence Day celebration in El Fasher, the capital of Darfur Province, on June+10/June, 65438. Travel is free, and all expenses are paid by the Sudanese government and local governments. The envoys and their wives set out from Khartoum on President Nemeri's special train. Every couple has a private room, which is not luxurious, but has a washbasin and a toilet, which is very convenient. There are many stops on the way, and the train runs slowly. When parking, you don't have to worry about when to drive, even if you drive for a few minutes, you can catch up in a few steps. 65438+Feb.31It was too late when we arrived in El Fasher, and our party was taken into the "Diplomatic Village".

The "diplomatic village" consists of many temporary yurt-style huts, the largest and best of which is the presidential palace. Envoys have a room for each family. There is only a bed made of wooden sticks, covered with a thick layer of thatch, and a set of thin and simple bedding.

The eve of Independence Day is also New Year's Eve. There is a grand open-air party that night, and local officials and the masses dance with the president and envoys. Towards midnight, everyone put their hands on the shoulders of the people in front of them and formed a big circle, jumping and jumping. Suddenly the light went out, and after a bell rang, it came on again. At this time, people, whether they know each other or not, regardless of gender and identity, turn around, hug and kiss each other and congratulate the New Year and Sudan's independence day. Laughter rushed into the blue sky and spread to vilen. People are bathed in an atmosphere of friendship and joy, and the warm current at night dispels the cold.

65438+1 October1,we attended the celebration party during the day, visited the local industrial and agricultural products exhibition, and attended the mass dance in the evening. They danced a folk dance. Sudanese women are good at singing and dancing, and their dances are varied, from shoulder-twisting pigeon dancing to belly-twisting hip dancing. Fasher women's dance steps are fast-paced, with their hands dancing forward and their feet thrown back. People step on drums, make unique whistles and dance all night. Although we can't dance well, we also share their happiness.

09

White Nile scenery in South Sudan

(Photography Wang Xinjun)

The Nile is the second longest river in the world and the longest river in Africa. It runs through the whole Sudan from south to north, nourishes the fertile soil of the plains on both sides of the strait, and is of great significance to the development of Sudanese agriculture. There are many dangerous beaches and waterfalls on the Nile, which are very spectacular. The Blue Nile and the White Nile meet near Khartoum, and the two kinds of water quality are clearly defined, which is a major landscape in Khartoum. On weekends and holidays, the fishing enthusiasts of the embassy will go fishing along the Nile or the Nile reservoir. Sometimes the fish they catch can't be eaten by the whole restaurant, so they make dried fish. Salmon from the Nile is delicious and fat, which is a regular dish on our table. My husband is the best among fishing lovers, and fishing is his great pleasure.

One weekend, we invited the Romanian ambassador to Sudan, his wife and one of their guests to go fishing in the Nile. We brought tables and chairs, food, and prepared to have a picnic with fish soup by the river and have a nice weekend. Our two families met at the riverside on time that morning, and everyone showed their skills with great interest. I know nothing about fishing. I am with a gentleman. I took the fishing gear he adjusted for me from Lao Yang and put it into the water. After a while, I saw that the fishing line was shaking, so I gently pulled up a one-pound salmon and took the bait! No sooner had I carried the jumping fish than I heard applause. I looked up and all the black people around me were applauding and congratulating me. I held up the fish and thanked them.

Just when I was happy, Lao Yang gently pulled me aside and whispered, "Something's wrong. The hook is stuck in my hand." I took a closer look, and the fishhook really just plunged into Hegu point of his right hand, so I couldn't get it out of Ba Dou. I am sweating. At first, we didn't want our guests to know, but now we have to tell the truth. We apologized to our friends, left them the fish I caught, and then drove straight to the medical team station in China. The surgeon performed a minor operation on Lao Yang before taking out the hook.

This monkey show later became a diplomatic joke. I once chatted with some foreign friends and told them a legendary story. My husband once caught a big fish weighing 100 kg. They asked in surprise, what fish is so big? How did you catch it? I smiled and pointed to Yang and said that he caught it himself. People laughed and asked him how he caught himself, but he couldn't explain this strange thing himself.

The water quality of the Nile is very good. Washing your hair and clothes is clean and smooth, and the brewed tea is particularly fragrant. Sudanese often say that if you drink the Nile, you will definitely want to come back. Yes, I still miss the Nile.

10

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is called "a park city on the plateau". "Addis Ababa" means "flowers" in Amharic. The climate here is mild, with spring-like seasons, flowers everywhere all year round, lush vegetation and pleasant scenery. Lao Yang moved the museum twice after taking office, and finally found a satisfactory place on the edge of the city, with five small buildings covering an area of more than ten hectares. Here is the hillside, followed by eucalyptus forest, which can repel mosquitoes. Groups of monkeys often visit. There is a stream flowing all the year round outside the wall. Through the hard work of all our embassy staff, it has become more and more beautiful here. The Egyptian side agreed that we should build a fence. We built a high and thick wall, which can play a certain protective role, hence the name "China City".

Flowers and plants in the courtyard of Ethiopian embassy in China.

(Embassy official website)

You can grow vegetables and flowers all year round in the yard, and you can also give gifts for the dishes you can't finish. For me, who loves flowers and trees, this place is simply paradise. In my spare time, I often grow flowers and vegetables in the yard. I personally inserted a pot of lanterns, and when it was in full bloom, more than 300 small lanterns were hung on the branches, which became a must in the museum at that time.

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Article source | Female diplomats (published in 1995)

Author | Gong Runping Picture | Network

Editor | Diplomat talks about Qingyan