My Beacon of Light: Mogadishu

by Amina Musa (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Somalia

“You shouldn’t go there- you know it’s dangerous. People are dying everyday, it’s not safe” I was in Hargeisa, the capital city of the self-declared republic of Somaliland headed to Mogadishu. My driver, who was raised in Mogadishu overexpressed his caution and apprehension over a trip I had waited my whole life to take. As a child raised in the states by Somali immigrants, I was always questioned about Somalia, about a place I had never seen. Many knew of Mogadishu and Somalia through the lens of conflict – a civil war that has lasted as long as I’ve been alive. Yet, as I searched to understand this country for myself, I saw picture after picture of Mogadishu, the white pearl of the Indian ocean, in the good ol’days. It looked amazing and it is that imagery especially of the infamous lighthouse looking over the sparkling clear blue ocean that made me travel across the world to see it in person. And as the city found relative measures of security, and people I knew personally were among those that now called it home, it became accessible to me in a way I never would have imagined. We descended over the Indian Ocean into Aden Abdulle airport and then quickly landed on the tarmac. I really thought we would land in the water at any moment. The blue flag waving in the wind against the sky and the dark charcoal building was so beautiful. I mentally took a picture to capture this moment forever. As I left the airport, we drove down one large road to head into the city passing by a huge football field where dozens of kids were playing outside and running around. The palm trees swayed as the breeze from the Indian ocean tickled our noses with a sweet smell of saltwater. I couldn't believe I was in Mogadishu! I spent the remainder of the trip in awe of the sheer beauty of this city but primarily that of Liido Beach. The infamous Liido Beach, that also brought me to this city was well worth the wait. I first went to Liido at nightfall and sat in awe as the moon shined intensely on the sea and illuminated enough to give us a sense of our surroundings. And on this Friday night, people played football by the beach, came together in groups and laughed and sang. Between the cats screaming and the strumming of the oud instrument, I ran down to the water. My long dress held up high, I placed both feet in the ocean. “I’m wearing boots- I don’t want to go in there” my friend shrieked. But I would not half step this experience in any way. The sand was so soft and the water equally warm. As I looked across the vast ocean with small boats littered across the sea, it was the most beautiful sight. I looked at the other side of the ocean to a beachfront littered with hotels and people and wondered what the sea would say to the city. Would it tell stories of blood it had seen spilled into its shores? Would it celebrate the people that continued to come back and enjoy the rejuvenation it offered? I then stuck my hands in the ocean and rubbed the salt water over my arms. The healing properties of the ocean itself are unmatched but here in this ocean, I wanted to reestablish my connection with my ancestors. I spent the remainder of the night elated by this experience. This joy did not subside and the first place I went to by day was Liido beach. Each time I looked at the ocean- now various shades of blue and turquoise reaffirmed I was in Mogadishu! And while I took a million pictures, I also went on a small water taxi that had the sky-blue Somali flag on it with a white star in the middle. The water was initially choppy but I hopped on and it was smooth sailing after that. The white star sticking out against the blue reaffirmed while the ocean and life might be choppy and always changing at its center its peaceful, depending on our focus.