Somalia Conference in London (Take Two)
It feels a bit like d éjà vu. It feels a bit like last year. Another big Somalia Conference is being held in London - last year it was on February 23 , this year it's on May 7. It's being held in the same venue, Lancaster House and, just like last year, lots of heads of state and other bigwigs have been invited. British officials keep telling me this conference is different. Unlike the one last year, which was hosted by the British prime minister, David Cameron, this one will be hosted by both Mr Cameron and the (relatively) new Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Some British officials are so keen to stress that the conference is, in part at least, 'Somali owned' that large Somali flags emblazon the bottom of their emails. Sometimes I get confused, and think I have received an email from someone in the Somali government, not the British one. Somali flags emblazon the bottom of emails from British officials And, just like last year, the UK has caught Somali Fever.