My travel experience in Mogadishu – By Carol Natukunda

But even with all these reactions from my family and friends, something was telling me, “Go, Carol.” And so, I simply packed my bags and left. I would travel along with other female reporters and the army. I didn’t even realise how I dozed off, for we would be landing three hours later.

As soon as we reached the UPDF Base Unit in Mogadishu, we were welcomed by the arrest of three frail looking Al Shabaab suspects.

A few hours before, they had shot at a UPDF convoy just 4kms south of Mogadishu.

They looked hungry and withered.  Why would a person who looks so frail and malnourished even dare blowing up anyone? What was their motive?

“That is the nature of al Shabaab,” Paddy Ankunda, the UPDF spokesperson stated, “If you look at the people who often plant explosives, you would marvel.”

Although we were residing in the fully guarded AU/UN support information unit in Somalia, I knew anything was likely to happen.

“The al shabaab entered Somalia’s state house …” my friend’s voice kept playing in my head.

Maybe if they attacked, I would hide under the bed? Or inside the cabin? Or cover myself up in a blanket?

The next day, I was told to dress up like a real Somali not to raise suspicion – a head scarf, and a lesu to conceal my jeans.

We would be driving around Mogadishu city centre in armoured vehicles.

For a start, all I could see was a sea of sand, vandalized buildings, women and children loitering around the lonely streets.

There was something sombre about the whole street.

Moving further into the town, I started to see small shops here and there.

When we stopped to take a few pictures, the shop proprietors quickly run inside their shops to hide their faces.

“They are scared,” a UPDF soldier told us,” They don’t know who an enemy is.”

But there was something peculiar about them, he explained.

“If there is an explosion nearby, they don’t run away or even go to see what has happened. They stay at their businesses. It shows you how much they have been hardened by the decades of war.”

We later learnt that the local Somalis trust the AMISOM soldiers more than their own local police force.

The government of Somalia has a divided army and heaven knows what would happen next if AMISOM withdrew forces today.

We drove further on the main street; I was surprised to find cars moving about normally and businesses buzzing in the city centre.

“Two years ago, there was nothing in this place, except gunshot s,” Ankunda noted.

“Mogadishu is relatively safe.”

The only peculiar thing was that motorists didn’t follow the traffic rules.

Anyone seemed to be in urgency to park anytime and anywhere they wanted to without caring to see if anyone was following in a distance.

I don’t know how many times our armored vehicle had to instantly break to save the careless drivers.

On closer look I noticed that most of the motor vehicles on the street were in a bad state; they are rusty and ram shackled – a constant reminder of the war.

But somehow, they move.

 

After more than an hour of driving, we were finally at the lower Shebelle River in Somalia.

I couldn’t believe I was seeing greenery here, and extensive fruit farms.

I even saw acres and acres of matooke.

Although this area was not affected by the war, the farmers were under tension.

 Paddy Ankunda, the UPDF spokesperson 

Just a few days before, someone had been killed as he drove back home, after delivering his fruit harvest to the city market.

“We beg the Al Shabaab not to kill us, because we have no political interests. We only cultivate food,” one farmer told us.

Still, businesses and farming activities close at 4:00pm.

Beyond that, you can’t be sure.

The next day, we were supposed to visit the Lido beach (yes, it’s named after Kampala’s Lido beach on Lake Victoria because of UPDF influence).

But that day, there was a threat from the Al Shabaab and security advised us otherwise. “We are doing heavy patrol in the city.  Because there are suicide bombings and explosives here and there,” said Brig Dick Prit Olum, the Uganda contingent commander.

Next, we visited the sea port, Mogadishu’s entry point for supplies.

Under the UPDF Commander Isaac Nuwa,  Uganda’s troops are ably controlling it.

“Over 300 trucks bring in food and other logistics daily,” Muwa told us.

But things are not as normal as they looked on the surface.

Some of the Somalis, especially the old women, simply didn’t want to be checked by the AMISOM.

“Some of them look at us as interference. There is also a language barrier. Many of them neither speak English nor Swahili we rely on interpreters, who may not be genuine,” noted the Sea Port Commander, Isaac Muwa.

Muwa, however, noted that strangely, some Somalis were beginning to speak Luganda, thanks to the influence of the soldiers.

Next, was visiting State House, otherwise known as the Presidential Palace. We felt at home finding the UPDF soldiers all over the place.

I was itching to know how the Al shabaab managed to sneak into this heavily guarded state house. Meeting President Hassan Sheikh wasn’t difficult.

In fact, we only waited for less than five minutes. The incident happened on 21st February at about 12.30 pm, he told recounted.

“The Al shabaab made three successive activities. First there was a car explosive in which a suicide bomber died some 100 meters away from the presidential palace.

This was meant to disorganize state house security and ensure a time lapse. Immediately after the first explosion, a second car nearby also exploded. It also had a suicide bomber. Nine al shabaab people then climbed over from a different side. Eight of them

were instantly killed and one who survived is under detention for interrogation,” Muhammed narrated.

lasted about ten minutes after the UPDF engaged them. “They (UPDF) were vigilant. The nature of the threat is that the terrorists are within society every day.

Security added that their target was to hit the Somalia president as he walked out to go for prayers at a mosque within the presidential palace compound.

They used the back wall fence of the palace and jumped inside

immediately after the explosions. They thought that that all the security had rushed to look at the car explosions.

Commander Olum also suspected that there might have been informers of the Al shabaab among the local police.

“We are trying to mentor the local police forces so that when AMISOM withdraws from Somalia one day, they have where to start. But unfortunately, we don’t know who is genuine and who is not. This is a big lesson for us,” Olum said.

The UPDF patrols the sea 24/7 for possible pirates. They have submachines around their speedboats. On our fourth day, would join the patrol. Initially I hesitated, but later I decided, what if I miss a good story?

As we drove towards the sea, we heard gunshots. My heart skipped and I covered my head, fearing for the worst.

Thehn in an instant, the soldiers were speaking and laughing in their radio calls. “No, it is not the Al shabaab, it is our people doing training.” Ah, I sighed with relief and headed for the AMISOM patrol speed boat. Minutes offshore, I was already panicking.

The speed at which they patrol is something I can’t explain. The ocean was changing tide. I closed my eyes and clung to my seat like my whole life depended on it.

It was the fear of either drowning or being gunned down by the Al Shabaab on the sea – like my friend had said. But, well I didn’t. Mogadishu is relatively safe. But you still have to watch over your shoulder.

Side bar: we are not here for picnic – UPDF

AMISOM has about 21, 586 soldiers in Somalia of which over 6,000 are from Uganda. Other troops are from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia who are deployed in six sectors covering south and central Somalia. Ugandan troops are particularly deployed the regions of Banadir, and Lower Shabelle.

The troops are putting up a spirited fight against the Alshabaab strongholds in Southern Somalia.  “We have recovered over 50 % of the former Al shabaab strongholds.

We are not here for a picnic, we are going to capture Southern Somalia and get rid of them,” says Commander Olum