Copout in Cairo
As COP 27 drew to a pitiful close with no action on emissions of reparation, I met a friend in a cafe in West London. Distracted by our discussion, we…
Gated compounds keep the rich away from Cairo’s chaos
Guards check drivers' papers to keep out uninvited guests from gated compounds where Egypt's rich can escape the chaos of Cairo's streets in a country with a widening wealth gap.…
New ‘Cape to Cairo’ free trade pact hailed as Africa milestone
The launch of a free trade agreement by three African economic blocs in Egypt this week will be an important step towards a potentially game-changing common market spanning the continent,…
Egypt’s ‘terrace society’ flourishes on Cairo rooftops
On the roof of a once-grand apartment block overlooking Cairo's Tahrir Square, Shukri Mahmud's father built a humble shack, the din, congestion and worst of the notorious pollution in Africa's…
Agony, anger fill Cairo mosque after deadly crackdown
The drivers licence was damaged and charred at the bottom. Perhaps it had been singed in one of the fires that burned in a nearby Islamist protest camp cleared by…
From Cairo with a caveat
“Angry about the near total absence of public security, the desperate state of the economy and an increase in sectarian tensions...” Stop! Is this Pakistan? Every word in the sentence…
In Cairo, a small step forward
The commonest reaction to Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo last week has been the most obvious one: that words are not enough. In fact, the US president acknowledged as much…
The stillborn Cairo-2
OF all the peace moves made by the United States, Cairo-2 had the shortest life: it died the day it was born. Other proposals, formulae and treaties worked out by…
African leaders discuss Cairo to Cape Town trade zone
African leaders have long dreamt of creating an economic community spanning the vast continent. It would ideally be like the European Union, with open borders and the free movement of…
Dialogue is the answer– what’s the issue?
While checking into a major international chain of Hotels in Cairo, a couple of years back, I was intrigued more by fascination than surprise by the “ Pin” all the…
