In 1999, as the war in Kosovo raged on, the demand for our team’s technical expertise was growing. By this time, I had become the Deputy of the Technical Support Unit (TSU) in Uganda, working closely with Peter, who led the team. We were responsible for providing radio communications support across the region, ensuring that one of us was always available to handle the constant flow of requests. While the Rwanda operation was scaling down, our workload was increasing rapidly.
Our team had already been supporting over 50 UN offices and numerous organizations in the surrounding cluster countries. But as we gained more recognition, requests for assistance started pouring in from across Africa. Suddenly, we were dispatching small teams of 2–4 technicians to West Africa on a regular basis.
Resistance to Change and the Concept of FITTEST
Recognizing the need for a more structured and global approach to telecommunications interventions, we proposed the creation of a flexible, on-demand team. The concept was simple: have a pool of skilled technical personnel who could be deployed quickly for both urgent emergencies and longer-term projects. This was in contrast to the more traditional “break-the-glass” emergency model favored by HQ, which was more reactive and only engaged when a crisis had already occurred.
We argued that our approach—one that could adapt to both emergency and non-emergency needs—would be more effective. Unfortunately, this was met with resistance, and HQ struggled to understand the value of a proactive, flexible telecom team. After six months of unsuccessful attempts at the “break-the-glass” model, they conceded. Our concept proved far more practical and efficient, especially as we began to repair old radios and equipment locally, reducing costs and avoiding logistical hurdles in regions where radio equipment was difficult to import or export.
Peter had a trusted ally in the Deputy Executive Director (DED), an experienced figure with over 40 years at the UN. He advised Peter to keep our team prepared, promising that when the time came, we would prove our model in action.
The First Test: Hurricane Mitch and the Birth of FITTEST
Our first real test came during Hurricane Mitch in Honduras. The regional team urgently requested our help, and Peter, along with two other technicians, flew in from Uganda to assist with the aftermath. During this time, I took charge of the team in Uganda, running operations while Peter was away.
It was a success, and our approach to flexible, on-demand telecom support started to gain traction. The real breakthrough came when Kosovo’s war ended, and the DED, as promised, called us in.
Kosovo: A Humanitarian Mission Under Fire
In 1999, as the Kosovo war came to a close, we deployed a team to establish communications for the UN in the region. I was part of a team of five that flew in to Kosovo. Peter went in by road to establish sub-offices, while I took a humanitarian helicopter straight into Pristina to set up a communications center.
The atmosphere was tense. American military helicopters were constantly flying over Pristina at night, trying to spot insurgents. We watched from our balcony as tracer bullets lit up the sky. While we ate French military rations—just like the local population—we were reminded of the devastation that had swept the region.
My French colleague and I were staying in a house arranged by the UN, only to later learn that it had been owned by a Serb family. The owner had been checking on the property every night to ensure it wasn’t set on fire, highlighting the deep-rooted mistrust between the factions.
After a month, I returned to Uganda, and Peter transitioned out of the Africa operation to focus on the newly formed FITTEST (Fast IT Telecommunications Emergency & Support Team). The Africa team, led by me, was now officially part of FITTEST, with a parallel team set up in Pristina to cover EU-Asia operations. Peter remained the overall FITTEST leader, empowering me to run the African operations and handle any red tape or funding issues that arose.
Leading FITTEST Africa
For the next two years, I was fully immersed in managing FITTEST Africa, overseeing operations across the continent. I visited over 40 countries, conducting assessments and organizing interventions. One major task was in Liberia, where I spent six weeks after the civil war, putting together a proposal for a comprehensive communications solution for the UN. This network would serve as the backbone for security communications for all UN staff. The proposal was fully funded, and I sent in my team to implement it while I continued to handle assessments and project proposals across the continent.
Fading from the DX Scene
During this time, Peter and I found ourselves slowly drifting away from the DX scene. The demands of our work were relentless. We were crisscrossing the globe, responding to emergency requests and managing long-term projects. The need for our support seemed endless, and we became more focused on the real-world impact of our telecommunications work than on making DX contacts.
Looking back, it’s clear that our work was not just about technology—it was about making a difference in some of the world’s most challenging environments. We didn’t just repair radios; we rebuilt communications networks, provided lifelines for humanitarian operations, and helped bring stability to regions torn by conflict.
The DX world had to wait as we continued our work, but the satisfaction of knowing we were playing a vital role in global humanitarian efforts was worth every sacrifice.