Somalia

Not everyone’s first choice of holiday destination, but there’s no avoiding it if you’re ticking off countries.

You can visit Somaliland and Puntland, which look interesting as well as being considered relatively safer to visit, but while officially unrecognised by the UN, they are basically operating independently, which somehow felt a bit like cheating. So, I booked myself a weekend in Mogadishu instead.

There aren’t really a lot of things to see or do so this was more of an opportunity just to see what life is like for the Somali people against a backdrop of more than 30 years of civil war.

Back in the late nineteenth century this bit of Africa was carved up, and the Somali Sultanates became British, Italian and French Somaliland. Mogadishu was part of Italian Somaliland and you can still see Italian architecture in the ruins of residences and offices built during this period of colonisation…

…including the famous Mogadishu Lighthouse – it’s the building on the left of the photo below. One of the most iconic buildings in the city, it partially collapsed about a year ago, and somehow represents both Mogadishu’s great past and its terrible years of civil war and domestic unrest.

Independence was gained in 1960, but in 1969 the president was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards and the Somali Army seized power in a military coup led by Major General Mohamed Siad Barre. Siad Barre was himself ousted from power in 1991, the former British Somaliland declared unilateral independence, central authority collapsed and a decades-long civil war ensued between rival clan factions and warlords.

A UN peacekeeping mission was unable to restore peace and by 2006 militias loyal to an Islamist group had captured Mogadishu and other parts of Southern Somalia. The photo below is all that remains of the old parliament building.

A breakaway jihadist group, seeking to enforce strict Islamic laws began to advance in central and south Somalia, but by 2012 with the help of an African Union peacekeeping force, a central authority was finally restored with the first formal parliament in more than 20 years being sworn in and the first presidential election taking place since 1967.

African Union troops and Somali government forces, aided by US air strikes continued to flight against the jihadists and by 2022 had retaken much of the land that had been under jihadist control.

As many as half a million people are thought to have been killed in Somalia since 1991. Here is the monument to the Unknown Soldier, a memorial to those who have died – one of the few undamaged sites in Mogadishu.

Fighting still breaks out, but there was a peaceful transition of power in 2022 and the current government in making inroads to peace. The African Union is handing over responsibilities to the Somali Army and looking to leave Somalia by the end of this year. A few days ago, Somalia was confirmed as a temporary member of the UN Security Council, so there is every reason for hope.

But there is still an ever present danger of jihadist terrorist attacks. There are road blocks and security checkpoints all over the city, and the security to get into and through the airport on my last day was tighter than any I’ve seen anywhere in the world (including that time when a bomb threat was actually phoned in on the day I flew out of Victoria Falls airport).

So what does life look like for the people of Mogadishu.

They drive on the right in Mogadishu. Unless they’re driving on the left. I guess people are just trying to get around as best they can. There are loads of tuktuks and the traffic can be very heavy at times – especially in the run up to sundown; no one wants to be out after dark.

After seeing the main tourist sites, I had a look round some of the more local districts.

First stop is the fish market. Every day the boats bring in fish from the Somali Sea to sell at the market.

Giant turtle is a favourite. Particularly for men. Apparently.

The Mogadishu Peace Park is a favourite spot for local people – there’s an amusement park and playground, with a gym and various restaurants, and is packed at the weekends.

A mosque in the old town of Mogadishu.

Somali has the longest coastline on mainland Africa and if its war-torn seaside is anything to go by, there is much potential for peace-time resorts.

Liido beach is a favourite spot for local Somalis – even on a weekday there were plenty of friends and families enjoying a day at the seaside. Everyone was super friendly, smiling and waving, and not just at the beach, but all over Mogadishu, people wanted to talk and have a photo taken with me. And I met more than one person who used to live in the UK or elsewhere in Europe; I’m told the Somali diaspora is starting to come back.

I stopped at another beach later in the day. Having scandalised the captain on Liido beach by rolling up my trousers to just below my knees to get on his boat, I was less frivolous in the afternoon, and sat instead for a while with a book and a cup of tea.

It was the most well-guarded cuppa I’ve ever drunk; I was sharing the beach not only with my security detail but with about 100 police, soldiers and military police who were protecting a meeting between the local governor and mayor at the beach resort behind me.

Is Mogadishu dangerous? Yes of course. Did I feel safe? Also yes. I was driven around in an unmarked Hilux by a police officer from the VIP Special Protection Brigade. There was an armed soldier and an armed police officer riding outside on the flatbed of the vehicle and walking with me whenever I was walking. My guide/fixer had a back up driver, a back up car and back up security guards – just in case. Plus, I was – according to the guide – “cooperative and flexible”, although I’m not sure why anyone wouldn’t be when he’s just trying to show you as much as possible while keeping you as safe as possible.

Security was tight at the hotel and throughout the city – but not for my benefit – it’s for every resident in Mogadishu going to the markets, the mosques, the schools, the parks and the old town, just trying to live their lives and get on with their day.

I’m glad I got the opportunity to visit, even if was only for the weekend and I hope that I look back on this in 10 years and not believe that people used to think it was too dangerous to visit Somalia 🇸🇴.