British envoy caught on Twitter with nasty rant about Khartoum airport

KHARTOUM AIRPORT WORST IN THE WORLD RANTS BRITISH ENVOY TO JORDAN

(Posted 01st December 2013)

The British Ambassador to Jordan, one Peter Willet, has reportedly dropped any resemblance of diplomatic language when he laid into Khartoum’s international airport, which he described as ‘The Worst In The World’.

He apparently uttered his rant via Twitter from his station in Amman and the details received here do not explain his presence in The Sudan or any other details except complaints about the heat – yes Mr. Ambassador, it is hot in The Sudan – the dirt and the lack of welcoming information. Considering though how these ‘Your Excellency’ individuals travel, briefed in advance, flying in the front cabin and being met by greeters who then ‘facilitate’ those hurdles other travelers have to jump over and the hoops they have to jump through, like immigration and customs, it is really beyond anyone to understand why he did travel to Khartoum when surely he must have been told about the temperatures, the fact that the place may be dusty, caused by the surrounding desert environment, and largely used Arabic language signs. If it was a private trip he could and should have stayed away and if it was an official trip, there sure is now a hardship allowance to be claimed to generously compensate for the dirt, the heat and the lack of Heathrow signage and having to go to a place he clearly considered as way below his station.

Comments made on Twitter indicate that ‘Your Excellency’ may have well shot himself into the proverbial foot with his rant, as twitter users in turn laid into him over the use of his blunt language, obviously not befitting a UK diplomat, and his perceived disdain if not outright disrespect for The Sudan.

A new airport is being planned for Khartoum, financed by China and built by Chinese companies, with little if any UK components or input on that project, as generally has the UK influence waned inspite of or perhaps because of the colonial mastership in former days.

And tongue in cheek I wish this ‘Your Excellency’ a lot more such travel experiences to bring him down to the level of how ordinary mortals travel and experience airports so that he can appreciate what it is like for say a UK national he is privileged to represent to travel around the world and to places like Khartoum. Not sure though that those British nationals are equally privileged to have such an individual represent them.