Nairobi, July 12 -- Arnaud Suquet may be a diplomat by contract, but travelling is his true profession. He became a diplomat because he loves to travel. Well, obviously that's not the only reason. There's also the education, the political capital, the savoir-faire, and the art of schmoozing between the state of affairs and affairs of the state. "I got attracted by a very romantic vision of what being a diplomat was," he says. "Travelling in a good suit. Having a Panama hat. Riding in a fancy car."

Now, as Ambassador of France to Kenya and Somalia, he wears more suits than Panama hats, rides in a fancy car, yes, but mostly to shake hands, kiss babies, and work the room. He won't be in Kenya for very long, he concedes; this job demands tha...