Mogadishu Rising From Its Ashes

[ModernNomad01]

Originally Posted by T3ST

I think Xamar should be something like Dubai without constructional steriods. (not so extreme).

Something like this would be nice:

Kinda emphesize more on tourism while preserving the historical buildings.

Lol, i don't think this can happen in the next ten years

[Xusein]

Dubai is too fake, I would like growth and development to be more organic and determined by market factors. If there is no demand for tall buildings, none should be built (I don't think this will happen though). Dubai's government owns lots of the shares of their biggest developers and simply had too much money to spend and now they've got so much unused towers lying around in the middle of nowhere, they had to be bailed out by Abu Dhabi.

Besides we need to be realistic LOL. This is Somalia we are talking here.

[T3ST]

I used Dubai because they went from desert to crazy towers in 15 years or so... Thanks to oil and they're saying Somalia has a lot of oil.

But you're right. We're talking about Somalia. We first need roads and put those cables all over the places underground.

[Constantine MMX]

No we are discussing a post-war Somalia, remember in the prewar era we established a paved road-network that is still larger than those of DRC and Uganda combined, our sports facilities had the biggest capacity in the region, we established the biggest airport runways in Africa, the most deepsea ports in Africa, the largest fish, meat and textile factories in the region and a year before the conflict broke out Somalia was in the process of establishing Africa's second largest dam in Bardera, and the largest oil-refinery of the region in the outskirts of Mogadishu.

Mogadishu itself was dubbed the 'Pearl of the Indian Ocean' and was one of the cleanest cities on the continent, so let's keep it in persepective, the security situation was our achilles-heel, but when that is out of the way, the sky is literally the limit, and you will see a lot of infrastructural records being held by the country once more.

That's not even a matter of discussion, Somalis have more companies, more entrepreneurs, more trade-links and more urban hubs than they did in the communist era, not to mention vast untapped resources, and an involved diaspora, that represents a wealthy pool of professionals and businessmen.

[Xusein]

Originally Posted by Constantine MMX

No we are discussing a post-war Somalia, remember in the prewar era we established a paved road-network that is still larger than those of DRC and Uganda combined.

Wow, this is news to me.

I don't want to emulate the Arabs anyway. I'd rather take pointers from Singapore and Taiwan.

Somalia's best advantage is that its a blank slate; a virgin land. The ones willing to make a risk to go back and invest in the homeland will become rich.

[T3ST]

Xusein, are you planning anytime soon to go back for some of those investments?

[lady gaga]

Originally Posted by Xusein

Dubai is too fake, I would like growth and development to be more organic and determined by market factors. If there is no demand for tall buildings, none should be built (I don't think this will happen though). Dubai's government owns lots of the shares of their biggest developers and simply had too much money to spend and now they've got so much unused towers lying around in the middle of nowhere, they had to be bailed out by Abu Dhabi.

Besides we need to be realistic LOL. This is Somalia we are talking here.

Sorry but Dubai isn't fake! But I agree no need for towers in Somalia

[Ras Siyan]

Originally Posted by Constantine MMX

Mogadishu's historic icons such as the medieval Mogadishan architecture, the whitewashed appartments and houses, the wide boulevards, the Moorish hotels, the beachfront villas, the italianate style houses, the Chinese sports & leisure buildings, the socialist era brutalist architecture, etc, are all actually unique to that city alone, you won't find similarities in Hargeisa or Bosaso. We shouldn't compromise our heritage with conflicting architecture, but make them blend harmoniously. The biggest tourist magnets in Europe are the cities that have managed to do that:

I'm all for a seperate CBD with modern and post-modern architecture including glass, chrome and steel, but not at the expense of existing ancient & medieval coral stone, classical concrete & marble or the socialist era icons, be it governmental buildings, the beach villas, the lighthouse area, the waterfront, etc.

There is plenty of space between Jasira beach and the city for that.

+1000

[Xusein]

Originally Posted by T3ST

Xusein, are you planning anytime soon to go back for some of those investments?

Not in the next couple years, I need money first, lol. Either way, I would rather go fix my home Burco first and foremost.

Originally Posted by lady gaga

Sorry but Dubai isn't fake! But I agree no need for towers in Somalia

It's growth isn't organic. Obviously it's real but it looks like SimCity.

[Constantine MMX]

image hosted on flickr


A day in Mogadishu

Wednesday, 29 August 2012 00:08 BY HAFSA IBRAHIM

Decades of civil war had largely taken Somalia off the map as an investment destination. It did not help that the capital Mogadishu was branded as the ‘most dangerous city’ in the world. Perceptions are, however, changing with relative calm in Mogadishu and Somalis from the diaspora trooping back.

Sounds of construction works have replaced those of bullets. A major business boom is taking place as the city revels in its longest period of relative peace since 1991. Beach front hotels, telephone and construction companies are currently the most profitable firms as the country rebuilds what was left of it after decades of war.

Having read many reports, both positive and negative, on Mogadishu since the liberation of the city and other towns from the extremist group al Shabaab, I was curious – let’s just say I was looking forward to this trip – considering the exciting time that the country is going through.

On arrival at the Aden Adede International Airport (formerly Mogadishu Airport), what hit me was the level of normalcy; business was just like what you would expect in any other airport. The Aden Adede Airport was organised and all the security apparatus were in place. This was a clear indication that despite recent gains in the city, security remains an issue.

My arrival was a day after the inauguration of the new Parliament – the first to be sworn in on Somali soil in over 20 years. Some 253 out of a total of 275 MPs were sworn in as the country nears the completion of the eight-year Transitional Federal Government and at the airport there were groups of international observers.

After years of failed peace initiatives organised abroad, Somalia’s endlessly feuding politicians are finally back in their own capital city, and nearing the climax of an exhaustive, Somali-led, internationally chaperoned new process that has already delivered a new constitution and a new Parliament and President – and with luck, something resembling a functioning government with a reach that might extend far beyond Mogadishu.

On the streets of Mogadishu, I was struck by the normalcy of everyday life and walking through the main commercial districts, it was hard to believe that just over a year ago, the city was under al Shabaab and the scene of frequent attacks. Amidst the rubble, homes are being rebuilt, cafes are re-opening as thousands of members of the diaspora return back to their homeland. Everyone is talking with varying degrees of confidence – about a future without bloodshed.

Businesses were open, in the streets there were crowds of people as they go about their activities, lorries and pick-ups carrying piles of goods and even armed men in pick-ups and military cars driving around. I could not help noticing how familiar the place looked; it reminded me of Eastleigh in Nairobi except the part of armed men patrolling the city.

Businesses are booming. There were women selling clothes, cosmetics, handbags, shoes; a scene that was unusual last year. Construction is going on everywhere for new homes, hotels and shopping malls with many old organisations being renovated with freshly painted buildings in shades of pink, blue, yellow,green and other colours.

The interesting part was seeing groups of school-going children carrying bags as they go to and from school. Traffic police manning the huge traffic that was starting to build up was also a sight to relish, big cars like the Range Rovers, pick-ups and lorries were everywhere and this gives the sense that the city was functioning well considering what it has faced in the last two decades.

In the last one year, the city has seen a major transformation security-wise. The diaspora have been trooping back and high-profiled people visiting for the first time in two decades. Turkey for the first time launched its international flight to Mogadishu for over 21 years. Local entrepreneurs and diaspora are investing in the city; they are repairing villas and buildings. The city also has effective electricity 24/7 for those who can afford it, largely courtesy of small entrepreneurs who operate generators.

Land prices have skyrocketed because many native Somalis who fled the violence are leaving their adopted countries and are now investing back home. A drive through the beach indicates a completely different side of the once ‘most dangerous city’. They are simply beautiful! At the beach you would see young men dressed in vests playing football, women, although few, dressed in long flowing diras and buibuis and shirtless children can also be seen playing around.

Along the shores there are women who sell stunning sea shells and cold drinks to quench the thirst of the merry-makers. With security in Mogadishu improving, residents are reclaiming the lives they had lost. All across the bullet-ridden city, people are taking steps to return to normalcy after years of chaos. Somalia’s restaurant scene is also quickly changing for the better.

The new beach restaurants painted beautifully with bright colours are seen to behold. Smartly dressed waiters go through their normal work tending to the customers. On all sides, there are several plasma TVs as people enjoy the English football. Across the corner stood armed men, a reminder of the country’s precarious security.

After a day in Mogadishu, although the challenges cannot be ignored, there have been many positive developments than the country gets credit for. The city is returning to life. The damage exacted on this 500-year old city and its unique blend of Islamic and Italian architecture over decades of conflicts is still everywhere but it takes little imagination to see how it was a once magnificent city.

Improved security is one of the reasons people are coming back. Rebuilding is still going on and there is plenty to be done to return Mogadishu to its former glory. Many are hopeful this is the beginning of new era in the war-torn country. “Everyone has had enough of war; people want peace. We want to rebuild what was left of our life,” says the taxi driver who was taking me round. -- Source

[Constantine MMX]

Muqdisho is Calling

by Heikal I. Kenneded

September 7, 2012

I arrived in Muqdisho few days after the new Somali parliament elected its highly competent Speaker, Prof. M. O. Jawaari and I'm fascinated to have witnessed the excitement on the faces of the people, as a new dawn of peace and reconciliation sets in the country. The city itself is fast changing and seems to be making up for lost time. Security wise, the streets of Muqdisho are very impressive and freedom of movement in all of its districts is unhampered while redevelopment of the city's business centers is painstakingly taking shape.

One of the telltale signs of the changes taking place in Muqdisho is the scale of building in the city, which feels like living in a big construction site. An old friend of mine noted on the other day that he had never seen a redevelopment of this scale in the city for the past two decades. In addition, Muqdisho is witnessing a wave of its most educated and enlightened - Diaspora community coming back to their native homeland in order to reclaim their important role to rebuild their country.

As soon as the small charter plane that I was traveling from Nairobi to Muqdisho made its careful descent, I became captivated by the immensity and beauty of the city's shoreline of the Indian Ocean. The aircraft was packed with many Somali Diasporas from all over the world, eager to revisit the homeland probably like myself for the first time since the beginning of the civil strife in Somalia so that they could participate in the rebirth of the nation. A sense of renaissance was palpable on their faces that this time is different.

If the great momentum of renewed peace and redevelopment in the country is kept at this level, Somalia in general will restore its national pride while Muqdisho will reclaim its old nickname "the Pearl of the Indian Ocean." indeed, it would be fascinating to witness in our lifetime such reversal of Muqdisho's fortunes. One certainly hopes Somalia's new leadership have learned from the colossal failures of past transitional governments who myopically focused on playing clan politics while allegedly enriching themselves with the country's meager income budget.

What Somalia needs now more than ever is not aid from the international community, but Somali investment of all kinds, including capital investment, social investment, education and expertise investment. Somalia badly needs its educated young people wherever they might be to bring their skills and ingenuity to solve Somalia's problems. Though the rewards might not immediately be there, still the growth opportunities are there to invest, while making a positive impact in the lives of many poor people who could greatly benefit from such opportunities. In other words, social entrepreneurialism is the ultimate key of unlocking the country's various social ills.

Not surprisingly, getting into grips with the city's vast devastation of its historical landmarks and ancient neighborhoods is quite a perplexing experience but also a disorienting process to be reckoned with. Fortunately, the old city's irresistible charm is all around that you cannot escape but conjure up what the city might have looked like if the curse of the long-tailed civil war had not engulfed it. For instance, long distorted but not vanished are the city's famous labyrinthine bazaars in Xamarweyne and Shangani districts that sprout with all sorts of foot peddlers. A visit to the city's beaches on Friday is no less than a surreal experience that reminds me of the good old days in Muqdisho when the city's residents nonchalantly strolled on the sandy beaches of Lido and Jazira or took a dip in its warm azure waters.

Despite the improvement of the city's security situation and the political awakening is beyond believe, there is a cynicism of some and their early predictions that the new government will be "same old same" made up of incompetent and corrupt officials who will only continue to further the country's nosedive into the abyss. However, the impressive dedication of the Technical Selection Committee (TSC) who made sure to go beyond the pale in their efforts of screening the background and qualifications of all new MPs into the new Somali parliament and the recent election of the parliament's great Speaker, Honorable Prof. Jawaari is their answer.

Strikingly, one of the great benefits this new government will have is the unprecedented interest of the international community in Somalia. This renewed interest to put Somalia's collapsed house in order will open up a lot of opportunities for many Somalis in the Diaspora with professional skills and an unmatched entrepreneurial acumen. Because educated Somalis in the Diaspora now realize gone are the days when one's professional skills are only useful in the developed world of their adopted countries, since the potential to freely exercise local understanding and influence is most attainable in one's native homeland.

Despite the tremendous excitement expressed to me by several friends from the Somali Diaspora, there are still several intractable issues that cause a great frustration and sense of concern stemming from a deep mistrust and misunderstanding between the locals and the new wave of the Diaspora community returning in the country. For instance, i know the case of an acquaintance of mine who ran into many obstacles to participate in the country's new political movement or redevelopment projects and felt being marginalized as though an alien. In fact, his frustration was echoed by many others that i ran into one of my daily get-togethers in the city's streets and cafes. Nevertheless, this is quite understandable due to the huge cultural gap that developed between these Somali diasporas and their local counterpart communities over the last two decades.

All in all, Muqdisho is calling to all her capable sons and daughters in its hour of most need but also out of duty to come back and restore its shattered aura and dignity cause we all owe it to her, at least. I for one could no longer resist but heed this urgent call while leaving behind my dear family and a privileged career.

Are you going to answer the call? -- Source

[Constantine MMX]

Economic activities back to Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Life is slowly but surely returning to the Somali capital Mogadishu a city had been not long ago synonymous with chaos and anarchy.

Business activities are markedly booming as people reopen shops and local traders are importing goods as far as the Gulf State of United Arab Emirates and China after security improved in the capital since last year's withdrawal of Al-Shabaab.

Hassan Ali is one of the local traders at Mogadishu's Bakara markets. He says economic activities are gradually returning traders are bringing various goods from different countries.

"At Bakara market business is growing. We sell various goods we import from many different countries mainly in Asia such as United Arab Emirates, Oman, China and Indonesia. Trade is really booming here," Ali told Xinhua in a recent interview as he worked in his grocery shop in Bakara market.

Somalis in the Diaspora have been pouring into the country as security improved and investment by Somalis from overseas have increased many of the start-ups.

Hundreds of people displaced by the fighting in Mogadishu have returned to their homes. Schools and other government buildings are under reconstruction while roads in the city have been repaired. Local crafts trade have also picked up with many wares on sale in a number of markets that have been reopened in the capital Mogadishu.

Asli Abdulleh, a trader of house utensils, says work still needs to be done to restructure the main Bakara and that tax collection needs to be organized.

"Trade is doing fairly ok but the market, although it was organized and many squatter structures were destroyed, a lot need to be done because it is not organized. Government needs to do something about this," Abdulleh told Xinhua outside his store in Mogadishu.

Somali government has made it a priority to reopen markets in Mogadishu and several markets of various sizes were reopened after security improved in most of the districts in Mogadishu.

Both imported goods and locally produced agricultural products are brought to the markets. The main Mogadishu sea and airport are operating and essential imports arrive at the markets on a daily bases.

Hassan Mohamed, a trader of plastic wares is optimistic about the future of the economy of the country and that of Mogadishu in particular. He says the movement and betterment of people's situation has taken a life of its own and will self-perpetuate for good.


"As a long-time trader at this market, I imported goods from many countries including U.A.E and China. I think we have come out of the dark days and Somali people have now come to realize that we need to improve ourselves by ourselves and not wait for outside world to come and do things for us. There is no turning back for us, we have to mark ahead," Mohamed said as he organized his sat in his shop in Bakara market.

Somalia has been through two decades of civil conflict and most state and economic infrastructures were destroyed.

But following the defeat of the radical group of Al-Shabaab and their subsequent withdrawal from Mogadishu last year social and economic life has been witnessing resurgence.

The reopening of businesses and the start-ups of new ones in various streets and markets in Mogadishu and the construct boom all over the seaside city has become a familiar sight of the Somali capital instead of the daily shelling, suicide attacks and constant gunfire for which it was notoriously known as the most dangerous city in the world. -- Source

[Xusein]

Constantine, do you know if they are planning to modernize the port and lower the fees even? Imagine what could be realized if they did.

[Constantine MMX]

I don't know the economic plan yet of the new Federal Government for the next four years , but it will certainly include the expansion and upgrading of important assets like the various deepsea ports and minor ones.

[juzme123]

Slowing but surely the city is rising. Allow noo adkee oo ilaali nabadda amiin.

[T3ST]

Originally Posted by juzme123

Slowing but surely the city is rising. Allow noo adkee oo ilaali nabadda amiin.

Why would they add music over the video?

[juzme123]

lol dunno bro. Yes it is a bit irritating, but it is a nice song though

[Xusein]

There needs to be a planning agency asap. It's good to see growth and revitalization, but the development in the video seems haphazard IMO.

[StormShadow]

Mogadishu indeed has a lot of potential! White walled local architecture (some Italianate inspired structures), wonderful coastline, interesting history, the list goes on.

[Xusein]

Great to see you posting in SSC again.