In 2012, as an ex military contractor in my first role after a 25 year career in the Army, I navigated the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital city, at a time when close quarter assassinations and huge truck bombs were almost daily events.
During that 9 month contract, I got to know the city, its weather, its rhythm, as well as some of its more prominent politicians through my role as Chief of Staff of a small team of media professionals working for the UN.
The role also exposed me at ground level to the competitive nature of Somalia’s security sector reform efforts, where international donors were constantly vying for influence within Mogadishu’s elite. The US, UK, EU, Japan and Turkey all had national or other interests in trying to carve out support for Somalia’s beleaguered military.
Together with excursions around the city, always supported by a team of Somalis armed with AK47s, I also spent many hours in the highly secure centre of the western-backed government, known as Vila Somalia.
Moving around incognito, hidden behind darkened windows in white, unarmoured SUVs, gave me the flexibility to go to places unreachable in the African Union’s Casspir fleet of lumbering protected vehicles.
From meeting with local businessmen and politicians in secretive hotel rooms, to even stopping for an orange juice at a cafe on the side of a city street, I took every opportunity to experience the city once known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’.
One trip will always stay with me: driving into the heart of Bakhara Market, the commercial centre of the city (and incredibly dangerous for westerners to visit), to be shown the engine block and rotor blade from one of the BlackHawk helicopters shot down in 1993. That experience (and many others) was hugely influential when I was writing the book.
It was from this unique viewpoint that, much later, an idea for a story formed in my mind.
At the time, I had no idea that my experiences, living and working in Mogadishu, would give me the inspiration to write my debut novel.
But, I’m pleased to say, they did.
A Deniable Conspiracy will be published in hardback and paperback on 17th September 2025.
From 2nd September 2025, the kindle edition can be pre-ordered here:
Ade Clewlow MBE 