Personal Journal
blogs and letters exploring Somali politics, social affairs, culture, and travel reflections.
Read ArticlesIt is normal to see this in Somalia. The very person you see opposing something today is often the same person endorsing it tomorrow. The only difference is time.
I am sure you visited a hospital in Somalia. You met nurses. You've seen that they all have something in common. They look exhausted and unmotivated.
In 2025, I traveled to Lasanod twice, once in February and again in the third week of April. My February trip was the first time I visited this city.
In early October 2024, I traveled to Jowhar. It was not my first visit; I had been there for ten working days in 2023.
It was recently, just two months ago, when I came alone to the Samira restaurant in Mogadishu. I wanted to be alone after a hectic day.
I visited Kismaio five years ago this summer. For those of you who may not be familiar with Kismaio, allow me to give you a brief tour.
It was 1991 when the Somali government collapsed, and clan-based warfare broke out throughout the country. Balanballe was the hotspot of the fight.