Ask for anything, but not that

From Brian Micklethwaite, via the Devil an interesting tale of Africa.
Basicly the key point is that if the option of British rule was put on the ballot paper in Sierra Leone, it would win hands down.

White men – most particularly the Brits – are held in high esteem in Sierra Leone. If you stood for election on a platform of the British re-colonising the country you’d sweep to power. Only the existing pols would oppose you. It would be massively popular. This is because of Sierra Leone’s recent history. Around 2000 they had a massive civil war, which was eventually ended when the Brits wiped out the fearsomely destructive criminal gang of drugged out teenage boys who looked like emerging victorious from the mayhem. At which point peace erupted, and things started getting slowly better. Which is the state of play now, touch wood.

I have a futher anecdote to add to this. A chum of mine, a Glaswegian Royal Marine corporal was on duty back in June 2000 when Robin Cook rocked up in Freetown. My friend was part of Cook's personal security team, and thus accompanied him almost everywhere.
At one point the tribal elders were all gathered in a big tent with Cook sitting at a table in the front.
"What can we in Briatain do for you? Ask us and I am sure that we will everything in our power to provide it"
The cheifs went into a huddled discussion discussion with lots of waving arms and nodding heads and a couple of minutes later one, rather impressive old man stood up as their representative.
"We have thought about this before this time Minister, and we agree. We would like Briatin to recolonise our land".

Cook spluttered out something like
"Ach, that's not possible, ask something else"

Then leave your army here for as long as you can was the reply.

And they are still there

So much so that this has happened. Now what the locals made of his 'Chalky' jokes I have no idea