Quick Trip to Mogadishu

In the two weeks before we left for the US, I fit in a trip to Somalia and a long weekend away with the family. I don’t travel as much as I used to but I still spend quite a bit of time moving around.

Mogadishu - June 22

This recent trip to Somalia was pleasantly uneventful. It started off the usual way with the armored vehicle and armed escorts to go from the airport the kilometer or two to the office. Once inside the compound I made the rounds, greeting staff and getting general updates from the team regarding the current situation in Mogadishu. The office was far more empty than normal given that Ramadan was just ending and many had taken time off to be with family. Nonetheless, it was good to be back in country and keep in regular face to face contact with staff.

Africa Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM)

From the office I was off to an external security meeting with other international NGOs. Given that I’m based in Nairobi, it’s harder for me to establish tight connections with counterparts who are based in Mogadishu. For the time being, most country directors for INGOs are still based in Nairobi but over time that is expected to change. Even for us the plan is that by 2020 our headquarters will make the move to Somalia – security permitting. It’s no small feat to make the switch. The international community is a common target for terrorist groups and security is expensive. There are other concerns as well. Logistical support for a multi-million dollar international NGO is complicated in the developing world. It’s an underappreciated part of what humanitarian actors do. Bringing in large quantities of medical supplies, water and sanitation materials (water tanks, bladders, solar panels, etc.) is expensive and unnecessarily complex. Manufacturing these items in country is obviously the ideal but we are far from there yet. If stability were to take hold and the environment for private investment to improve, we will likely to see more of this start to happen. 

tough to take good photos through bullet-proof glass

The security meeting was at a hotel that had been hit by a massive attack in January. Security cameras at the time captured footage of a truck heavily laden with explosives that somehow made it past police checkpoints and then was detonated in front of the gate of the hotel. Such buildings in Mogadishu are heavily fortified and this building, because of its location near the airport (green zone) and the fact that it regularly hosts government and international organization officials, is particularly a target. Given the massive radius of the blast zone (apparently damage as far as a half-mile away), it’s amazing that only five were killed, not counting the terrorists.

the ubiquitous Hescos

Now, the hotel has further reinforced its security. When you enter the compound you go through a maze of walls made of massive one-meter sand cubes (referred to as "Hescos" after one of the companies that produces them) and multiple boom gates as you work your way inside. When you are finally inside, it’s surprisingly peaceful and normal. I would like to think that one day all this security will no longer be necessary but when you look around the world, airports, malls, schools, etc., we seem to be heading the other direction. It’s too bad but it’s likely here to stay.