Galkacyo with Guests

The rains uncharacteristically continued into June. So did my travels.

My new-ish supervisor and I traveled to Somalia for her inaugural trip. We only had three nights to work with so I decided it would be best to focus on field operations (2 nights) and less on Mogadishu (1 night). Both are important and interesting, but I figured that the field visit would provide a more diverse perspective of our work in the country. I’d hate to guess how many visits like this I’ve led over the last 20 years but there have been many.

We caught the early flight from Nairobi to Mogadishu on a Saturday. While in the air, a massive storm hit Mogadishu. As we neared the airport, the pilot informed us that we would need to circle until there was enough visibility to land. There was zero visibility looking out the window, as if it was covered with gray paint.

The delay was less of a problem than it might have been given that the plane we were taking from Mogadishu to Galkacyo was the UN plane that we were on.

stream of water flowing through the modest UN airport facilities

Eventually we were cleared to land. However, while on the ground we were informed that there would be further delay before we could take off. We disembarked on a tarmac a couple of inches deep in flowing water. I quickly gave up on trying to stay dry. The hundred meter walk to the UN arrivals container was a mix of water, mud and sand.

At the waiting area - essentially a crowded, large container - multiple UN flights were awaiting the same permission to take off. After a muggy, damp wait, we were given the green light to begin making our way to Galkacyo.

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Galkacyo

I’ve been to this area many times over the past several years, though my involvement in coordination mechanisms has required me to spend more time in Mogadishu. These trips do take significant chunks of time, largely due to the logistics involved in traveling. Flights are irregular and change frequently. Cancellations can set you back a day or two and your schedule needs to be a bit flexible. Some locations are worse than others. UN flights are considerably more dependable.

Galkacyo has an interesting history. It’s located near the border with Ethiopia at about midpoint between the Kenyan border in the south and the Gulf of Aden in the north. The town straddles the border between two states and has at times been the source of significant tension. On my first visit in 2017, it was impossible to drive across the infamous “green line” separating the two parts of the city. We landed at an airstrip on the north side but needed to cross to the south to where our office was located. As our “north” vehicle approached the border, we had to stop, get out of the vehicle, belongings in hand, and walk about 50 meters, get in another vehicle, all under the watchful gaze of armed guys facing the opposing sides. We could continue the rest of the way to the office, only to reverse the process two days later.

I’ve only experienced one tense moment while visiting. In 2018 during a visit, tensions flared up. The day I was scheduled to leave, I was to have a couple of meetings before heading to the airstrip. While in the first of the two, my security guy interrupted the meeting and told me that we needed to leave immediately. As I raced back to my room to retrieve my belongings, I still hadn’t been told what specifically has happened that necessitated the abrupt departure. This sort of thing rarely happens so I was understandably anxious. We zoomed out of the compound and headed in the opposite direction of the main road. I assumed it was because that was where the unrest was unfolding. We zigzagged on the dirt streets avoiding children, goats and donkey carts until we reached the green line. By this time there were agreements in place between the governments to allow us to remain in our vehicle as we crossed. We could now see smoke billowing in the distance. It made me a bit more at ease knowing that it was not in the direction that we were heading. Through the radio communications between the various security people, we were guided to a UN compound several kilometers outside town. We sheltered there for a couple hours until we were told that our UN flight was ready for boarding.

As I look back, it provides some helpful perspective as to how much things have changed – for the better. It can be disheartening at times because it sometimes feels that the situation is in perpetual decline. Though it’s not improving everywhere, there is evidence that there are pockets of improvement.

* * *

arriving in Galkacyo

Anticipating that there may be delays, I had limited expectations for day one. I only scheduled a late lunch (yummy goat and camel) and meeting with staff which we were able to fit in before the end of the day. We then settled in at the guesthouse and readied ourselves for an early start and long day in the vehicle the following day.

The next morning, we loaded up and headed out. We were in an uncomfortably large convoy of vehicles; I think eight in total. The more vehicles you have, the more visible you are. The more visible you are, the more at risk you are. In any case, I’ve done this with as many as nine without incident, but I try to avoid this sort of thing if possible. The one advantage, on the other hand, is that it’s easier to consolidate passengers in the case of a flat tire, as has happened on a previous trip to this same area. For security reasons, the driver stays behind to change the tire, the passengers squeeze into other vehicles and the convoy keeps moving.

Our first visit was to a women’s center. In addition to providing safe spaces for women, these facilities offer skills training and other protection and empowerment activities. We met with the women and were able to witness a few different skills development activities. Afterwards we walked across the village to a shop run by some women who benefited from one of our savings and loan groups. Very cool to see.

henna tattoos

always shadowed by these guys

Because of the tight schedule, we needed to move on. The next stop was a small health facility, sort of in the middle of nowhere. It’s amazing how these things keep running in spite of so many challenges, including limited resources. Of course, they always are seeking more funds to expand what they do. I would do the same if I were them.

The next stop was to a borehole that we rehabilitated a while back and installed solar panels to power the water pump. It was good to see that it was operating smoothly. We were even fortunate enough to see a pastoralist and his herd of camels taking advantage of the waterhole. Always nice when you have visitors for them to see the camels and witness the real benefits of the investments.

After the borehole, we made our way to another clinic, this one significantly more developed than the one we saw earlier. I visited this facility a couple years prior and was impressed by how clean and organized it was, particularly given its remote location. This would be our last visit before having a late lunch. On visits like this, the team organizes a meal with a local restaurant (sort of like a Somali truck stop) such that the food is ready to go. We can eat quickly and then get back on the road.  Always good to limit the amount of time you spend in any one location. Generally they organize for us to be in a separate room, away from the main restaurant, to make us less visible.

hits the spot after a day on the road

After our boiled goat and rice (it’s better than it sounds), we were on our way back to Galkacyo. We need to be off the road by 5pm you don’t want to play it too closely just in case something happens on the way. Fortunately, there were no issues on the drive and we were able to get back to the office/guesthouse in time. Dusty and sweaty, I was happy to be back and have the trip behind us. These things are stressful since so much can go wrong. But it went well and the team really did a good job hosting the visit.

poster in one of the clinics...

The next morning, we made our way to the airport. We would be traveling to Mogadishu with a plan to meet with the team in the afternoon and then travel to Nairobi the following day. In the end, we would be massively delayed and wouldn’t arrive in Mogadishu until after 6pm. Prior to take off, I notified staff that we would be unable to meet with them. As I mentioned before, you need to have measured expectations when traveling in Somalia. I was just happy to make it to Mogadishu the same day. It was my first time arriving after dark, which is not ideal.

The next day, we caught an early flight back to Nairobi. Mission accomplished.