Category Archives: Somalia

The problem with world fisheries is nobody sticks up for the fish

“The problem with world fisheries is nobody sticks up for the fish.” Charles Clover, The End of the Line. While Somali pirates are taking hostages, killing and getting killed by the French navy, French trawlermen are blockading Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk. The Somalis claim they have taken to robbery and kidnapping because their traditional fishing livelihoods have [...]

Hyena men and Ethiopian young entrepreneurs

A couple of months ago I went to Eastern Ethiopia with my friend Simon Biltcliffe. It was mind-altering in many ways, not least because we travelled from London to the eastern region, near(ish) to the Somalian border and back to London in four days. Economy all the way, I might add. We landed in the [...]

It's Sunday, so it must be Islamabad

UPDATE: They seek him here, they seek him there. Gordon Brown has moved on to Pakistan, wearing the same suit and tie, where he has applied pressure to allow the Metropolitan Police to ‘interview’ one or more of the Mumbai bombing suspects. The strategy is simple. Render them to London, buy them an Oyster Card and invite [...]

Ahoy there me hearties…

Pirates are suddenly everywhere: Indian Navy sinks Pirate Ship, Somali Pirates Hijack Saudi Oil Tanker: Cadbury’s Old Jamaica chocolate bar futures are set to surge. Why the sudden interest? Piracy is not new. Nor is this revival of interest so ephemeral either. We have had quite a few Pirates of the Caribbean to contend with [...]