Somalis defy al Shaabab militants to celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday
Some young people filmed the processions on their phones, livestreaming chants to friends abroad, while others hoisted banners adorned with verses of praise. Security forces, rifles slung over their shoulders, stood at the edges of the crowds, scanning for threats but unable to suppress the festive mood.
Somali capital Mogadishu is one of cities urbanising rapidly but weak state and clan politics leave its displaced in limbo
Clan dynamics are a particular complication. Mogadishu is dominated by powerful major clans, especially the Hawiye. The majority of IDPs, however, are from marginalised so-called minority groups, including farm-based Bantu people.
A leap into hellish Mogadishu, then I realise Daadab camp in Kenya may be heaven on earth
‘I’ve been caught three times in explosions and gun battles already, and I worry that one day my luck might run out.’ I can’t take this city anymore – I need to get out. I’ve spent 10 months trying to build a better future for myself, and now I admit...
