Mogadishu

Mogadishu مقديشو Maqadīshū ("The Seat of the Shah")[1]
Mogadishu skyline in 2006
Nickname(s): Xamar
Mogadishu's location in Somalia
Coordinates: 2°02′N 45°21′E / 2.033°N 45.35°E / 2.033; 45.35
Country	Somalia
Region	Benadir
Government [2][3]
- Mayor	Mohamed Omar Habeb Dhere
- Police chief	Abdullahi Hassan Barise
Population (2006)[4]
- Total	2,000,000
Time zone	EAT (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EAT (UTC+3)

Mogadishu [mogaˈdɪʃu] (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: مقديشو‎ Maqadīshū; Italian: Mogadiscio) is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital.

Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important regional port for centuries.

With the collapse of the central government in 1991, Mogadishu has been the stage for 19 years of fighting between rival militias. Years of civil unrest and uncontrolled insurgencies against Ethiopian occupation have transformed Mogadishu into one of the most dangerous and lawless cities in the world.^[5] Estimates of the city's current population vary greatly, with figures ranging from 1.5 million to 3 million, as many of its former inhabitants have fled.

History

Early history

Engraving of the ancient Fakr ad-Din Mosque in Mogadishu.

According to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, maritime trade connected Somalis in the Mogadishu area to other communities along the Indian Ocean coast as early as the 1st century CE. With Muslim traders from the Arabian Peninsula arriving circa 900 CE, Mogadishu was well-suited to become a regional center for commerce.

The name "Mogadishu" is held to be derived from the Arabic Maq'ad Shah ("The seat of the Shah"), a reflection of the city's early Persian influence.^[1] For many years, Mogadishu stood as the pre-eminent city in the Bilad al Barbar ("Land of the Berbers"), which was the medieval Arabic term for the Horn of Africa.^[6][7][8] The Portuguese visited the city but never managed to take it.

1800s-1950s

The "Banca d'Italia" building in downtown Mogadishu in 1939.

In 1871, Barghash bin Said, the sultan of Zanzibar, occupied the city.

In 1892, Ali bin Said leased the city to Italy. Italy purchased the city in 1905 and made Mogadishu the capital of Italian Somaliland. After World War I the surrounding territory came under Italian control with some resistance.

Thousands of Italian colonists moved to live in Mogadishu and founded small manufacturing companies. They also developed some agricultural areas around the capital such as the Villaggio duca degli Abruzzi and the Genale.^[9]

In the late 1930s, the 10,000-strong Italian Somalians living in Mogadishu helped construct new buildings and avenues. A new 114 km railway was built, which connected the city with Jowhar. A new asphalted road called the Imperial Road was also constructed, linking Mogadishu to Addis Ababa.

Mogadishu remained the capital of Italian Somaliland throughout the existence of the latter, and became the capital of independent Somalia in 1960.

Modern history

Rebel forces entered and took the city in 1990, forcing then President of Somalia Mohamed Siad Barre to flee in 1991 to Kenya. One faction proclaimed Ali Mahdi Muhammad president, another Mohamed Farrah Aidid. A contingent of United States Marines landed near Mogadishu on December 9, 1992 to spearhead the United Nations peacekeeping forces during Operation Restore Hope, in which Pakistan, Italy and Malaysia also participated.

Aerial view of a residential area of Mogadishu, with a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter in the foreground, December 1992.

In the wake of Operation Restore Hope, further US helicopter-borne incursions persisted, until, on October 4, 1993, at 6:30 AM., American forces were finally evacuated to the UN's Pakistani base by an armored convoy along the so-called "Mogadishu Mile." In that exercise alone, 18 U.S. soldiers died and 73 were injured, while two US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and three further MH-60s put out of action. After the battle, one or more US casualties of the conflict were dragged through the streets of Mogadishu by crowds of local civilians and SNA forces. The Malaysian forces lost one soldier and had seven injured, while the Pakistanis suffered two injured. Casualties on the Somali side were heavy, with estimates on fatalities ranging from 500 to over 2,000 people. The Somali casualties were a mixture of militiamen and local civilians. Somali civilians suffered heavy casualties due to the dense urban character of that portion of Mogadishu. Two days later, a mortar round fell on the U.S. compound, killing one U.S. soldier, and injuring another twelve.

Flag of the Islamic Courts Union.

Mogadishu was subsequently run by competing warlords until 2006, when Islamists and businessmen formed a successful coalition, seized control and governed the city as the Union of Islamic Courts. Later that same year, the Ethiopian military invaded to oust the U.I.C. and restore the internationally-recognized government,^[5] which had long remained in exile in Kenya.

Mogadishu was the scene of bitter warfare and devastation caused by fighting between Ethiopian troops, which invaded Somalia to support a fragile government, and Islamist guerrillas. Fighting escalated in March–April 2007, November 2007 and April 2008 with hundreds of civilian casualties. In October 2008, the BBC reported that the city had been "abandoned by at least half of its residents", and that there were "street after ruined street of bombed-out buildings in the center of Mogadishu".^[5]

As of 2008, a 2,700-strong African Union peacekeeping force is attempting to bring stability and security to the city,^[5] as well as providing medical aid to the population.^[10]

Since May 8 2009, there has been an increase in violence reportedly leading to the displacement of more than 165,000 of the inhabitants. The violence has culminated in several suicide bomb attacks, these are normally rare occurences in Somalia.^{[11] [12][13]} The attacks have claimed many lives, amongst them Mohamed Hussein Addow, a legislative politician and the third high-profile public killing in as many days throughout the country.^[14]

Geography

Mogadishu is located at 2°4′N 45°22′E / 2.067°N 45.367°E / 2.067; 45.367. The Shebelle River (Webiga Shabelle) rises in central Ethiopia and comes within 30 kilometers (19 mi) of the Indian Ocean near Mogadishu before turning southwestward. Usually dry during February and March, the river provides water essential for the cultivation of sugarcane, cotton, and bananas.

Features of the city include the Hamarwein old town, the Bakaara Market, and the former resort of Gezira Beach. The sandy beaches of Mogadishu are reported by the few Western travelers to be among the most beautiful in the world, offering easy access to vibrant coral reefs.^[15]

Economy

Bakaara Market in the heart of Mogadishu. In the absence of government regulation, Somali marketplaces have thrived.

Mogadishu serves as a commercial and financial center. The economy has recovered somewhat from the civil unrest although the Somali Civil War still presents many problems. The effective absence of government yields free trade without taxes or regulatory expenditures, but comes at the cost of civil society and infrastructure. Businesses have hired armed militias to provide security against gunmen, leading to a gradual reduction in open street violence. However, high levels of crime including frequent murders and occasional bombings are still rampant in the city.

Principal industries include food and beverage processing and textiles, especially cotton ginning. The main market offers a variety of goods from food to electronic gadgets.

Telcom, a telecommunications network operator, has its headquarters in the city.

Transportation

Aerial view of the Port of Mogadishu in 1992. Three cargo ships, large, medium and small sized vessels are moored to the docks. A tugboat is heading out of the port.

Road

Roads leading out of Mogadishu connect the city to many other Somali locales and to Ethiopia and Kenya.

Air

Private airlines such as Jubba Airways service Mogadishu at various airports within and around the city. The intense fighting largely destroyed the old Mogadishu International Airport (now renamed Aden Adde International Airport), which briefly reopened before the War in Somalia (2006-present). As of 2007, K50 Airport serves Mogadishu.^[16]

Sea

Mogadishu leads Somalia in port traffic and still serves as a major seaport. International traders actively benefit from its de facto duty-free status. However, piracy is widespread around Somalia's coastal areas, making sea transport risky.^[17][18]

Railway

There were projects during the 1980s to reactivate the 114 km railway between Mogadishu and Jowhar, built by the Italians in 1926 but dismantled in WWII by British troops. The Railway Mogadiscio-Villabruzzi was planned in 1939 to reach Addis Abeba.

Government

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Mogadishu has had no functioning government for many years now since the city was mostly under the control of various heavily-armed militias and factions. In recent years, however, the Transitional Federal Government, with the help of foreign troops, appears to have finally amassed the necessary military wherewithal to engage the militias and reestablish the rule of law. Currently, up to a third of Mogadishu is held by insurgents.^[19]

Education

Despite the civil unrest, Mogadishu counts several institutions of higher learning.

Mogadishu University is a non-governmental university that is governed by a Board of Trustees and a University Council. It is the brainchild of a number of professors from the Somali National University as well as other Somali intellectuals who sought to find ways to provide post-secondary education in the wake of the Somali Civil War. Financed by the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as well as other donor institutions, the university counts hundreds of young Somali graduates from its seven faculties, some of whom continue on to pursue Master's degrees abroad thanks to a scholarship program. Mogadishu University has established partnerships with several other academic institutions, including the University of Aalborg in Denmark, three universities in Egypt, seven universities in Sudan, the University of Djibouti in Djibouti, and two universities in Yemen. It has also been scored among the 100 best universities in Africa in spite of the harsh environment, which has been hailed as a triumph for grass-roots initiatives.^[20]

The Somalia National University, founded in 1954 during the "Italian Trust Administration of Somalia" (AFIS), has been closed indefinitely due to extensive damage.

Benadir University was started in 2002 with the intention of training doctors but has since expanded into other fields.

Due to human capital shortage in the country's private sector management, the Somali Institute of Management and Administration Development (SIMAD) has given priority to the fields of business administration, information technology and accountancy.

Sport

The city is home to Mogadiscio Stadium, which plays host to the Somalia Cup and to soccer teams from the Somalia League.

Notable Mogadishans

Born in Mogadishu, supermodel Iman was the first Somali woman to appear on the cover of Vogue in 1979 and to sign a cosmetics contract.

• Saba Anglana, international singer
• Zahra Bani, professional athlete
• Ayub Daud, professional footballer
• Hassan Abshir Farah, former Prime Minister of Somalia
• Mo Farah, international track and field athlete
• Iman, supermodel
• K'naan, award-winning musician
• Mustafa Mohamed, professional athlete
• Rageh Omaar, award-winning journalist
• Said Sheikh Samatar, scholar and writer
• Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, Prime Minister of Somalia
• Fatima Siad, fashion model
• Yasmin Warsame, supermodel

References

See also

• Railway Mogadiscio-Villabruzzi

Wikinews has related news: Violence in Somalia displaces over 27,000

External links

• Mogadishu city portal
• GlobalSecurity.org page on the city's history
• Mogadishu at Google Maps
• Map of Mogadishu (1997)
• BBC articles:
  • "Inside Somalia's danger zone", October 5, 2008 (videos)
  • "Somalian 'ghost city' wracked by war", October 6, 2008
• Photos of Mogadishu taken between 1993 and 1995
•  "Mukdishu". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.