Flying into Mogadishu is always a thrilling ride. Make sure to get the window seat. You almost feel like you are about to land into the ocean as the plane descends. It had been a long couple of flights to get there, having to stop in Ethiopia for a brief moment.
The custom desk was long and ardous. So many new protocols but it went back and forth on 'who' was looking after us. We had a letter from UNICEF but we also had letter from the Ministy of Information. It said I was a photojournalist. We however didn't have a letter from the hotel we were staying in.
But they finally let us in and gave us a sticker visa with a terrible poorly lit photo of standing at the counter. Mogadishu had changed a lot from the run down airport. It was bustling with porters and people looking to make a buck. It was also one of the few places you needed to keep your baggage tags. Otherwise you couldn't collect your bags. The baggage men wouldn't hand it to you.
I remember the first time in Mogadishu, the custom papers required you to register your hand gun. I guess back then, everyone was packing. We had drivers though from our hotel to pick us up. We were to go to the Palm Beach which was literally 100 metres from the airport and along the airport.
This was a green zone mission. I would not be out in the city where I could roam and take photos and meet the people. It was all barricades, blast walls and barb wire. Security guards armed with machine guns at every intersection.
It was depressing but it is what it is. The security guys were super friendly though and showed us the facility. We stayed in full serviced shipping containers which was well equipped. A large bunker we could hide in incase of an attack. There had been several mortar attack in recent weeks with Al Shabaab. They had fired into the green zone and the airport. Debris had hit the UNICEF compound.
I stepped into the restaurant for a quick lunch. Mainly, to drink their fresh juice. I always tell everyone that the best fruit I have ever tasted around the world is in Somalia. Delicious watermelon, papaya and mango juice. Even the lemon juice is amazing.
We met Lisa who was the Communication officer and went through the security briefing. We were to go to the Daadaab region and see a few IDP (Internally Displacement Persons) camps. Many had fled the conflict ongoing as well as famine and floods in the area.
Al Shabaab had a small presence because the Ethiopian army assist with the security. Dallow is as the region is close to their border. The African union support is dwindling but the African nations still support Somalia. The coalition forces were called ATMIS and were going to change to AUSSOM as the new transition to Somalia having their own security.
Al Shabaab forces had been eroded and for the most part, them securing weapons and members dwindle. The capital and work opportunities have greaten but more so, the people are tired. With continued insecurity, Somaliland, a quite stable state of Somalia, to seek independence.
Tomorrow we would be flying with UNHAS small plane into the Dallow but til ten we had dinner at a secured compound. Other UN staff were coming along. The international lifestyle working in hostile countries are all the similar. There was always the well priced secured compounds for the foreigners to relax in.
Kabul was like that. You pretty much went out every night or socialised. After being locked up in secure compounds, everyone need to let loose. And those nights often got loose. At least you could get a burger and a beer.
Talking about Afghanistan, a friend from Kabul and fellow Australian, Matt Swift was working for UNICEF. We yakked on about the good old days of Kabul and riding motorbikes. The world seems small when you can run into another acquaintance ten years on, in a different conflict zone.
One thing about Somalia, it is super humid and hot. Mogadishu at least gets a cool ocean breeze. But you are saturated in sweat. The next day we were on a small UN plane to the border with Lisa coming along.
We had several stops along the way but we landed into the Dallow. Our drivers got us into the big bulletproof land cruisers. We had bullet proof vest and helmets in case but we literally was the first compound out of the airport. The most annoying part of photographing from a UN landcruiser is the windows don’t go down and always tinted and the codan antenna is right in front of your view.
Our first mission was to meet the governor of the area to get his blessing for being there. We met at a place called the Great Mango tree which was a century old Mango tree by the bridge into Ethiopia. The governor seemed distracted more so, he had a wad of qat in his mouth. Qat, for people who don't know, is the northern African choice of narcotic. Is is leaves of a particular bush which chewed long enough gives you a natural high.
I have a story about Yemen, being detained by the Houthis but will share it in another substack on Yemen.
The next few days we could take photo of the projects and looked forward to finally taking out my camera.
