Rob Crilly - African Safari: November 2008 Archives

"Well, they did tell me it was unbreakable... and asked me to do my best to destroy it... and it has a three-year warranty." Those were roughly the thoughts that ran through my head as my new Sonim XP1......more

If there was ever a heyday for journalism then it must have been in the latter part of the nineteenth century. As pre-festive season memos circulate newsrooms warning that Christmas party expenses must be kept to a minimum, reading......more

Mapima, a baby chimp, was rescued from a Congolese army commander and a life of misery. Pic credit: Kate Holt Jolted out of my Congo cynicism by a features editor who wasn't convinced by my gorilla pitch. "Rob," she said,......more

The Ihusi Hotel, Goma The Ihusi Hotel, nestled on the shores of Lake Kivu, is gradually emptying out. Those of you who may have been worried about my safety/comfort during my time here in Goma will be relieved to know......more

Laurent Nkunda and Olesegun Obasanjo inspect rebel troops So I made my way up into the rebel-held hills at the weekend to seek out General Laurent Nkunda, the renegade Tutsi general, who has helped bring a fresh wave of misery......more

Children at Kibati Camp, near Goma. Credit: Kate Holt The conflict here in Goma is a meaningless mess. Laurent Nkunda claims his gunmen are protecting ethnic Tutsis from the attentions of Hutu militias - the former Interahamwe, responsible for the......more

A government soldier on the road out of Goma with his pet, James The road into Goma twists and turns through the hills of Rwanda until you drop down through the mist to the border with the Democratic Republic of......more

So after four years I've developed two ways to be on the road in Africa. One is to do the humble visitor, delight in burnt goat and thank my lucky stars that I'm seeing a bit of the continent......more

My kit bag continues to have a fairly low-tech feel (ridiculed in some quarters) but the last thing you need in this part of the world is to be up all night trying to repair your nuclear-powered wireless nose......more

Got to be honest, I'm not too sure what to make of recent coverage of the troubles in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The story shows no sign of disappearing off the world news schedules just yet... and yesterday the......more

Election night in Kogelo I was one of the few journalists to get an invite to spend election night with the Obama family in their Kogelo home. Put something together for one of the Sundays but it wasn't used so......more

The manifest from the Faina obtained by Reuters and the BBC If this ever gets out it will not be good for UK-Kenya relations, the latter never slow to accuse the former of meddling in Kenyan affairs, maintaining a colonialist......more

Three ways that Kenyans think they will benefit from an Obama presidency: 1. By spending the American budget on Kenyan infrastructure Peter Otieno, one of the hustlers who crams extra passengers into already crowded minibus taxis in the town of......more

Me taking a goat to the party So how do you make friends with the Obama family and ensure access to all the key players in Kenya as their relative vies to become the most powerful man in the world?......more

Basically, this guy gets it if Obama wins. He's going to be the celebration feast.......more

The press pack in Kogelo The press pack at Barack Obama's ancestral home is growing steadily. Today there must have been a good 30 or so hacks assembled for the 11am press conference to hear Abongo Malik Obama (half brother......more

There have been a few changes recently in Kogelo, the rural homestead that the Kenyan branch of the Obama family calls home. Four years ago I made my way down a bumpy, rutted dirt track to find Granny Sarah's......more