The rumour on Brazzaville's quiet and tree-lined streets is that the fighting in Pool has somehow been orchestrated by bigger men than Mr Ntoumi, who want a place at the trough, and don't mind sparking mayhem to remind the president that they can do worse if denied their cut.

ECONOMIST: War brews in Congo-Brazzaville

Mr Mullin reserves his real passion and energy for fighting the government car-pool service, which is determined to punish him for refusing a chauffeur-driven vehicle, and the High Hedges Bill, a noble bid to control the spread of fast-growing leylandii.

ECONOMIST: A British minister's diaries

We're in the fighting stage over a vast common pool of ideas, and nobody knows what they're worth with new distribution outlets like YouTube, Facebook and cellular phones.

FORBES: The YouTube Solution