Elections

The month of May brings some turmoil, most notably for me in Somalia where I work. Without going into details, it’s a scenario very familiar to those who live in Africa. A sitting government that looks to game the system such that it can stay in power and give the appearance of legitimacy. A normally fractured opposition unites to resist against the regime that holds the cards (and the military). Armed resistance is viewed as the only recourse. Civilians pay the price.

This is my third election season since I began working in the country. Each time has been tense. Each time has resulted in some degree of violence but nothing that has become widespread. I suppose that could be considered progress.

This has played out across the continent time and time again. With no systems to provide accountability, there is nothing to break the pattern. Sometimes it results in widespread violence. Sometimes minor skirmishes. Sometimes apathy in a population that feels powerless in the face of no prospects for change.

The US is preparing to celebrate its 250^th anniversary. The irony is not lost on those watching America from the outside. The hard work and brilliance that created governmental systems that have been the admiration of populations around the world are now being voluntarily eroded to the considerable shock and dismay of onlookers. The founding fathers who are being lauded, are, at the same time, having their brilliance dismantled piece by piece. It may sound fun and harmless in the beginning, but even those attempting to benefit from this dismantling will likely live to regret these efforts.

“It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.” - Voltaire, philosopher and writer (1694-1778)

* * *

By contrast, in the UK this is playing out differently. Voters have spoken at the local levels and the fallout is bubbling up to the highest levels. No one is trying to game the system. It is what it is. Interestingly, it’s also the unhappiness with those at the highest levels that have trickled down to the local level as top and bottom seem to be influencing each other simultaneously.

A friend and former colleague of mine has been a Labour MP in Scotland for several years. Though MPs were not on the ballot, she is stepping down as local elections in her constituency have heavily voted for non-Labour parties. The people have spoken. Though she’s obviously disheartened, at least the system maintains its integrity, regardless of how one feels about the results.

* * *

So tensions mount in Somalia. Protests have begun. Crackdowns have also begun. Frustrations are mounting. In this country, people often handle things with violence so we’ll need to watch this space. Though I was advised to stay away for the past couple of weeks, I’m now getting the green light to return. But I need to limit my movements until further notice. After doing this sort of thing for a couple decades, I have a good sense of what is safe and what isn’t. But there is always that element of unpredictability. I’m increasingly looking forward to the day when I don’t have to do this anymore.

 

“Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle.” – Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

storm clouds brewing...

 

Kajiado

I’m sure that a lot of people feel this way. But one thing is certain, no matter how committed I am to being in either Nairobi or Mogadishu, nor how many meetings or events I attend, I am certain to miss out on things in the location where I am not. In fact, even when I am in one of those two locations, I miss things due to key events that are happening simultaneously. I can end up with three important events all happening at the same time and then the following afternoon have no external obligations at all. Anyway, you prioritize, delegate and let the pieces fall where they may.

* * *

May Day

As a result, after burning the candle at both ends the past few weeks, I was needing some time to detox.

One side note, "Mayday" is the international voice distress signal for emergencies, used three times consecutively ("Mayday, mayday, mayday") in aviation and maritime communications. It originated in 1927 from the French phrase m'aider ("help me") which is pronounced somewhat like “mayday” in English. Though it has nothing to do with May Day (May 1), a spring festival and Labor Day recognized is much of the world, a long weekend break was an answer to my own distress signal.

Last Friday was May 1 and, conveniently, it’s a holiday recognized in the two countries where I work. As such, we were looking at some options to take advantage of the three days. It was too short to go to the coast. It’s also rainy season so we were hesitant to go camping. Safari trips can be muddy and a bit precarious. In the end, we found a remote cabin (B&B) about two and a half hours outside of Nairobi. We had never been there, but the reviews looked positive and more or less matched what we were looking for.

Kajiado

We loaded up the vehicle on Thursday afternoon and headed out. We have driven this road a couple times before on our way to Amboseli National Park. It basically runs due south before crossing into Tanzania.

The first part leaving Nairobi is now a toll expressway and allows you to gain quite a bit of time compared to before. But the road soon narrows and it’s a two-lane mess as you inch your way through congested towns for dozens of kilometers. The last forty-five minutes is on a rough dirt road that eventually led us to the remote cabin that would be our home for the weekend.

the cabin

We arrived late afternoon and after setting our bags down and scoping out the cabin, we settled in for a cup of tea.

tea on the swinging sofa

The cabin sits in a dense forested area. Trees and brush press up against the cabin on three sides. The flora has been topped on the back side allowing for some deck views of the hills behind. It has running water and solar power. There is no Wi-Fi but you can get cell reception. There is a small village about a kilometer away, but we never really went to it. You could occasionally hear voices off in the distance, along with the frequent mooing of cows, but there isn’t a lot going on in the area. There is, however, a marble quarry outside of the village which, I assume, serves as the primary economic driver for the community.

outdoor shower

The area is in Maasai country. Maasai are generally pastoralists and are primarily located in Kenya (primarily the south) and northeastern Tanzania. They have often been at odds with government authorities who would prefer they adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. Pastoralism tends to be ill-suited to a world with an increasing population density. It’s a lifestyle that is similar to much of Somalia where it manifests in similar tensions, only there it is sometimes resolved at gunpoint.

lesser masked weaver

African paradise flycatcher

blue-naped mousebird

There is wildlife around but not a great deal. We heard some hyenas during the night, and we were told that there are warthogs, impalas, gazelles, etc., but we never saw any. There were a lot of beautiful birds, and I have noticed that I take more photos of birds than I used to.

hyena tracks

The cabin came with a cook (James) which made life easier. Good for him too because it provides him with employment. I would say that we were generally pleased with his skills.

* * *

The Hike

The compound guard (Simon) led us on a hike to the top of a nearby hill. It wasn’t a long trek, but it was good to get some exercise and see a bit of the area. We followed Simon outside our fenced area and followed a small stream for a short distance. The trail then took us up into the hills that we could see behind our cabin. Simon informed us in Swahili that this was not necessarily a recreational trail but a path that links people to the more remote tiny villages (bomas). Small children make this arduous trek each day (over 5 km.) to access the only school in the area. We didn’t have rain on this particular day, but I could see that the combination of a heavy downpour and the steep slope would make the trail nearly impassable.

We didn’t see much wildlife, but we did come across some fresh hyena tracks. As nice as this place is, I would prefer to be someplace where we can see wild game. 

crazy looking bug in a beautiful flower along the trail

* * *

We spent most of the time relaxing, reading and eating. I’ve brought my guitar to continue my slow but steady progress towards generating something that resembles music. Without wireless connectivity in the house, it provided a great escape from civilization and a much-needed opportunity to clear the mind.

Mogadishu

Lots of Rain

I’m sitting at the UN in their outdoor café (covered) reflecting on the past week in Somalia. A tropical rain is pouring, and pooled water is inching its way across the floor in my direction. A thundering downpour is not a common occurrence in Mogadishu and a few people have been taking photos. I did the same on the drive from our office to the “green zone” as we plowed through water reaching the top of the tires. Drainage and sewage are terrible here so even the slightest rain can result in flooding. Given how much rain we’ve had today already, it’s certain that the city is going to be a mess. I have a flight later today and I’m glad I came early for meetings. I would not want flooding to block me from catching my flight.

powering through deep water

It’s hard to tell how widespread these rains are, but I’m hoping it is providing some relief for the drought situation. In any case, it’s a treat, particularly given the oppressive heat each day. If the sun comes out this afternoon, it’s going to amplify the humidity.

* * *

Security

After all these years of moving back and forth between Nairobi and Mogadishu, I’m as adapted to one city as much as I am the other. For the latter, it’s an adaptation that is obviously distinct from adapting to other cities. I can’t move about freely due to security constraints and I do my best to keep out of harm’s way as much as possible. But I can’t remain in a box and it’s necessary sometimes to challenge protocols as a part of our ongoing monitoring their appropriateness. Overly stringent measures will unnecessarily limit one’s ability to fulfill basic responsibilities, cutting you off from the local population. Overly loose protocols can expose you to serious danger. Finding that middle ground involves tracking the evolution of the security situation, crunching lots of data (where, when incidents normally occur) and using your instincts. This applies to me but also to the movements of our team and our local partners, albeit not in the same way.

Admittedly, the security in Mogadishu has improved in some ways. Statistically, there are fewer militant attacks. Construction and private investment have been dramatic. The city is far more vibrant than it used to be. A profile picture I took of me on the Lido beach back in 2016 shows almost no one in the background except some kids playing football. Now the beach is full of people, sometimes late into the night.

Mogadishu by night; view from our building

So far, thanks in large part to my beloved security guy, we’ve been able to get it more or less right. We did lose a colleague in a massive explosion in 2017 (which killed 512 people and injured hundreds of others), but something like that was so massive that it was unavoidable (the blast radius was large enough to damage our office building which was about a kilometer away). But overall, I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job navigating what has been some troubled waters at times.

I definitely have more freedom of movement than I did several years ago, and I also have a much better sense of what is safe and what isn’t. But the risks are still very real and no one, including my Somali colleagues, can afford to take them lightly.

What has increased is criminality. Data for this is scant since people often don’t report such things, but anecdotally and through various reports I’ve read, it’s clear that the situation is worsening.

Improving Economy?

It should also be pointed out that lots of new buildings and people on a beach do not necessarily mean that prosperity is on the rise. On the contrary, drought and reduction of aid have taken poverty levels to new heights. Unemployment continues to rise as Somalia’s high birth rate and lack of economic growth results in more and more students pouring into the market with no jobs waiting for them. Few resources are allocated to infrastructure so things like sewage and roads are in terrible condition. Water and electricity are privatized so they can at least be maintained, though accessible only to the small minority who can pay for it. And those resources are struggling to keep pace with expanding needs.

One issue is that the economy has largely been fueled by diaspora investment and money trickling in through the aid world. As the global economy is taking a hit, Somalis living abroad have less to send home and have fewer resources to invest. And as we all know, humanitarian and development took a beating over the last year or so and, for an economy as dependent on aid as Somalia, it has been devastating. Also, natural resources are scant and there doesn’t seem to be a clear path forward to replace these revenue streams. The Turks have recently begun to explore the seabed for oil, though it has been reported that, even if they are able to find decent amounts of petroleum off the Somali coast, any benefit would be years away. And there are concerns that the financial arrangement may benefit Türkiye more than Somalia.

Going Forward

As I am now in my final months of working in the country, I’m sometimes asked how I view things going forward. For the full answer, I would probably need to write a book. In short, however, it will boil down to leadership. There are certainly paths the country could take to begin to deal with these massive obstacles. But since I have worked here, the country has been so divided and subjected to a cadre of people vying for power, often through force or the threat of force, that very little energy has been devoted to bettering the country. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

One government official I spoke to didn’t disagree. He said that as long as systems don’t exist, “we who choose to enter this playing field, do so knowing that this is what we are up against.” He said that some embrace it. Some only tolerate it. But he added that you either play the game as it is or you don’t play at all. Sort of an acceptance of the status quo but with seemingly no ability to change it.

* * *

The Mosque

On Sunday I visited the large mosque near our office. I have been a couple of times and I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s obviously a place that is not accustomed to visits by non-Somalis. I’ve been many places over the years where people stared at me because my presence was unexpected. This one stands out (as I did).

beautiful mosque on a hot day

I would not be allowed inside the mosque as a non-Muslim, but, technically, I’m free to wander around outside. There weren’t too many people around given that we timed it so that we would be there between prayer times. For the people that were there, I couldn’t tell if it they were uncomfortable or just curious, or both. I know my HR guy that accompanied me was aware and also wanted to limit my exposure. After stopping to take a couple photos, we wandered around to the back of the building, away from the main courtyard, and found a bench where we could sit and enjoy the coolness of early evening.

the "women section" of the courtyard and ocean view

Our office had an electrical fire late last week and as a result of the repairs that were underway that day, the building had no electricity and, alas, no air conditioning. Afternoon temperatures were suffocating. My phone said 33 degrees Celsius (91 F) but feels like 41 (105 F) not counting the humidity. So finding some shade and a cool breeze was very welcome to say the least.

my name as a Somali barista hears it

Inside the mosque compound there is a small café and a store. When we first entered, we went to the café to grab a drink. The last time I was there I had a cappuccino which, on this occasion, sounded good to me for some reason in spite of the heat outside. Also, there’s no menu, at least not one in English, so I thought going with something I know would complicate things the least.

In the US and other Western countries, you’re generally offered a plethora of different types of milk. In Somalia it’s usually a binary choice between camel milk and cow milk. This guy didn’t ask and, after taking my first sip, very quickly I realized that the default is camel milk. I’ve had camel milk many times over the years, but I generally wouldn’t take it in my coffee. And I try to avoid it altogether. Though it’s supposedly good for you, it has sort of a pungent, musty flavor. It’s probably best if you became acquainted with it as a child. I had it fairly frequently when I first began working in Somalia. I was trying to “go local” and not be a soft foreigner. I’m past that stage now and am comfortable opting out. But when it’s already served to me, I muscle through.