A Dire Prediction

Mark my words -- we will see more stories like this one in the future. Five Exxon mobile employees have been kidnapped in a volatile region of the Niger River Delta in Nigeria. We do now know who is responsible, which in its way is even more worrisome than knowing.

The logical first conclusion is that the kidnappings are linked to global jihadism. But I would place bets that, while radical Islamism is a serious concern in parts of Africa and Nigeria is a possible flashpoint, this is a crime driven by economic and political concerns independent of islam, even if Muslims prove to be involved. The kidnappings more than likely represent a desperate attempt to send a message to multinationals, and to the government that sponsors them, who extract oil riches, little of which makes it back to the local community.

Certainly nothing can justify this sort of crime, but in our zeal to extract a precious resource, perhaps we should take seriously accusations of neo-colonialism. We -- and by "we" I mean western corporations, politicians, and states -- need to find a way to partner not only with foreign front companies and government elites, but with the people who sit to the side and watch millions of dollars in cash and commodities change hands while people suffer in the streets.