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Human Security Brief 2006 Cover Photo by Tim A. Hetherington / Panos Pictures

June 21st, 2007

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Saw this photo taken by Tim A. Hetherington of a fearsome-looking militant armed with a FN M240 on the cover of the Human Security Brief 2006, a report which analyzes the trends of recent armed conflicts around the globe. One disturbing point put forward by the report was that Sub-Saharan Africa was the only region to see a decrease in armed conflicts (from 2002 to 2005) (Page 6). A very depressing read which you can access without charge at www.humansecurity.info.

As the report did not contain any information on the identity of the men on the cover, I went to Panos Pictures, which owns the rights to this picture (search for THE00341NIG and THE00344NIG to find this picture and another related to the above photo) to find more info.

Quoted from Panos Pictures’s official website:

Panos Pictures is a London-based independent photo agency representing photojournalists worldwide. Our photographers document issues and geographical areas which are under-reported, misrepresented or ignored. In a media climate dominated by celebrity and lifestyle Panos aims to provide fresh perspectives on the world.

From Panos Pictures, I found that the militant above is a member of the Nigerian militant group MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) and the photo was taken when the MEND was releasing one of the hostages out of the nine foreign oil workers that they captured in 2006. Read more about MEND and this incident in this Christian Science Monitor article or from Wikipedia . I leave you to form your own opinions on MEND - politics has and will always be a grey area.

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Eric Pasquier’s Photos

Eric Pasquier’s Photos

June 04th, 2007

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I came across Eric Pasquier’s photos from an article on modern-day pirates by Nick Ryan titled Wave of Terror.

Quoted from Eric Pasquier’s own website at www.ericpasquier.com.

I work as a photo reporter for more than 17 years and I publish on 5 continents in about 45 different countries.
I realise mostly magazine features and I’ m a “specialist” in anything crazy, unique and incredible on earth.

You can read more about his past and future journeys on his biography page.

Of particular interest are the photos he has taken in his travels and assignments around the world on diverse subjects ranging from Muay Boran pre-match rituals in Thailand to South China Sea pirates, Australian road trains and even a butterfly-catching penal colony. Really wonder how he gets access to his subjects, especially when you look at his photos of real pirates.

Two of his photos from his official site.