British student, who was on holiday in Kabul when Afghanistan fell to Taliban in August, had to be evacuated and has since travelled to South Sudan.
Miles Routledge (21 years old) flew Monday to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia before taking a second plane to Juba in South Sudan. According to his Twitter profile,
After his first day, he praised the weather and locals and said that a tribe had offered him a wife. He then joked: “I can honestly say it’s better than London in many aspects.”
Birmingham native, Mr Routledge was invited by a Sudanese resident who had followed his adventures in Afghanistan. Routledge plans to hike in Uganda for several weeks before heading to Kenya to see a friend.
The Foreign Office advises against all travel to South Sudan, which has been ravaged by civil war and violence since becoming in independent in 2011.
Loughborough student in physics, who wears large, silver crosses around his neck and gives cash outright to street people, said that he had taken’supplies’ to rural communities.
Miles Routledge (21), who was on vacation in Kabul when Afghanistan fell to Taliban in August, had to evacuate and has now travelled to South Sudan
His Twitter profile shows that Mr Routledge flew from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to catch Monday’s flight before taking a second plane to Juba, South Sudan.
He also shared a photo of Routledge holding a bundle of Sudanese cash, which was worth ‘less that $100’.
‘From my first day in south Sudan, the weathers lovely, people are very friendly and helpful, I don’t feel unsafe, I got offered a tribal wife, I goofed off with locals and got some cheap food. South Sudan is a great place to visit. Can’t wait til tomorrow,’ he wrote.
However, only 24 hours later the Brit declared that he was heading for Kenya.
According to Mr Routledge, he was interested in visiting Sudan as he heard it to be ‘chaotic’. He wanted to see the country for himself.
He stated that he attempted to travel to northern parts of the country twice but was stopped by soldiers, which included children with AK47s.
Routledge said he received a Sudanese woman and a name change from a tribe he didn’t identify.
In scenes that were similar to his time in Afghanistan and reminiscent of what he saw online, he claimed that he had heard gunshots go off at night.
Routledge previously boasted of having visited Chernobyl and posted pictures in May claiming it had been two years since his last visit to the site of the 1986 Ukrainian nuclear catastrophe.
Birmingham native, Mr Routledge was invited by a Sudanese resident who had followed his adventures in Afghanistan. After spending several weeks in Uganda, Routledge will travel to Kenya to visit his fan.
Routledge stated that security stopped him at London’s Luton Airport. They took Routledge into a backroom for 3 hours to question him.
According to him, officials searched his phone and bag during interrogation and took his photo and fingerprints.
He wrote on Twitter that the questioning caused him to miss his Luton flight and forced him to take a Gatwick plane the following day.
In August, Mr Routledge, who said he went on holiday to Afghanistan ‘because it was dangerous’ had to be evacuated from Kabul after spending days hiding in the United Nations safehouse following several failed attempts to escape the city.
Mr Routledge shared the information via Facebook at that time: “Got Evacuated At 4ish (it’s now 2AM) With 100 civilians. Couldn’t send messages as cars were emitting signals which would cause bombs to explode. My airpods couldn’t connect so I believe it prevented all internet/data.
“The Taliban permitted us through the airport. We met many of them. It was a long transition period. But everyone smiled, waved, and took selfies. I was able to sleep on dirt/gravel roads and got up every time cars passed. Our new house is safe and secure. We are all well-hydrated and happy, and can get a good night’s sleep.
He posted an update shortly after saying that liquids were not allowed on the plane.
People are giving away their belongings to one another because they cannot carry them. A group of young men filled my bag and body armor with 20 protein bars. I am a very happy man right now. Thanks, lads.
Routledge claims he was able to take a picture on the gun position of one of two Taliban armed convoys he encountered during the Taliban Insurgency.
Posts to the message board 4chan, and Twitch show that Mr Routledge from Birmingham claims he was question by Taliban militants on his journey to Kabul International Airport.
He claims that he was questioned by Taliban militants on the way to Kabul International Airport.
He answered that he came from Wales when they asked where he was from. He says the fighters were unaware of Wales, so they let him go. Routledge later claimed he came across an armed convoy in the Taliban insurgency, and snapped a picture at one of their gun positions.
He told the Times that he was inspired by YouTube videos about tourism and made the decision in the end to go to Afghanistan. He claims that he was unable to refund his flight tickets after the takeover and therefore chose to travel.
Routledge stated that he accepted the possibility of dying in Afghanistan. According to Routledge, in a social media message, he wrote that he had “bit off more than i can chew”, and that things have not been as planned.
“There was no way to convince me and I understood the risks. I decided to take a risk and it went wrong, even though I believed in myself and laughed.
Yesterday, he said to his viewers that although he had been fully prepared for the end, he accepted death. This was an experience of God. My faith is strong so I trust God will take care of me.
“Before my departure, I wrote to my close friends, saying that even if death were inevitable, I would live a happy, proud, religious, and spiritual life.
He says that he may be safe because of a £15 joke purchase he made which gives him the right to use the title ‘Lord’, seen on his American Express card.
He told his students: “The Taliban might see that as sufficient reason to keep me living, believing it may have some negotiating power since they’ll believe I’m important. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go to that point though.