Very much reflections of what I would expect from a bloody foreigner on a hushed visitation to a war zone marinated with a toss of mislaid Somalinimo flavour to balm chapped cavities of the forlorn diaspora hordes. Take you seriously, I shall not, till you have taken a crowded bus, with tiny seats not fit for a tall, burly gentleman of a certain age, from Adam Adde airport, paid the $5 fee to stride to the taxi rack, fight your way through rows of poor beggars to find a taxi or a bajaj to your destination; then at dawn, take a stroll through Bakaraha market for a homely breakfast in one of the low end shacks-turned-restaurants competing fresh "laxoox / canjeelo" flying off the pan with builders / workers in the morning rush, and get a sodden whiff of the rubbish, from the day before, still stacked up in the streets. With that, you would be a local lad back at home. But with you fancy bulletproof limo, VIP reception, backdoor exit to the city, and trotting between blue beaches and fancy hotels, mate, you are a bloody foreigner on tour. Now, tell me, is Awdal safe? Is Lughaya secure? Is Ceel Sheekh off limits?

Yesterday was Friday and Liido beach was full of people. Men, women, children and people from all walks of life were there. You don't have to be middle class or rich to enjoy the beach. It is public.

Certainly not. HSM isn't doing much on Awdal side. Yes, he did the Turkiye defense pact which is a great move, but he has done nothing so far to challenge the separatists in Hargeisa. With HSM at helm, Biixi can breath easily. He keeps talking about Abiy and his disastrous plans, yet so far he is unwilling to say anything negative. His government is dominated by separatists, heck he even appointed another three or four of them for the last four weeks. Secession talk and boasting of Biixi and company is possible because of the leadership here in Mogadishu. Dalka Muqdisho Ayaa laga Goynayaa. I have to take a dictionary to understand the first paragraph. I agree about the ride to the airport. While I was passing the checkpoints escorted by security Thursday while picking up VIP, I saw the public line up and wait for a long time to reach the airport. Of course I am traveling like an outsider , but that doesn't mean you couldn't feel the the real people. For example, last night I walked about a kilometer and saw small restaurant selling Malawax/ Canjeero and I went in. I wasn't hungry, but wanted to check the price fell comfortable among my people. I ate two Malawax each one was 50 cents which isn't bad. If you could get a full stomach for $1.50 isn't bad for a poor guy. I walked the streets of Addis Ababa and I saw a thousand beggars everywhere . Yes, there are poor people, but Mogadishu had always a tradition of people working hard and I do believe that culture is still there. If peace prevails even a year or two, I have no doubt this city could be better than many places who were peaceful for 35 years including the stinking Addis. Give me a few days, I will be traveling to Bakaraha, Waaberi and Wardhiigley and report back.