Navigating the two sides of Somalia's capital Mogadishu

In our bid of letters from African journalists, Soraya Ali tries to reconcile betwixt the idyllic representation of Somalia that she grew up with and its estimation arsenic a hostile place.

Until a fewer weeks agone I'd ne'er been home.

A state wherever I talk the language, and look similar everyone other but had ne'er stepped ft in.

But this month, I followed successful the footsteps of countless diaspora children and booked a one-way-ticket to the motherland.

I was calved and raised successful London, immoderate 6,000 miles (9,700km) from my family's roots.

Growing up, I ever felt torn betwixt the thought of what sounded similar 2 precise antithetic cities.

I'd perceive astir Mogadishu connected the news. A superior filled with decease and destruction, touted arsenic "the astir unsafe spot successful the world".

But past my parents would talk truthful fondly of "Xamar", arsenic the locals telephone it. They described a beauteous city, situated connected Africa's longest coastline, known to galore arsenic "the pearl of the Indian Ocean".

I've travel to realise that some versions clasp immoderate truth.

Many diaspora Africans, similar myself, person returned to their archetypal oregon ancestral homeland.

On accomplishment determination is often of a heavy consciousness of belonging, but astatine the aforesaid time, a melancholy astir the differences that being successful the diaspora has created.

My parents were calved successful Mogadishu successful the precocious 1950s and, similar galore older Somalis, they person their rose-tinted memories of the country.

"We utilized to zoom astir successful our convertibles and deterioration immoderate we wanted," my mum often reminisces, recalling her chaotic adventures and adjacent wilder hairstyles. Nowadays women are expected to formal much conservatively.

"All you had were goats," my siblings tease, to her dismay.

The Somalia we grew up seeing connected our screens showed Western journalists successful displaced people's camps talking to those connected the brink of famine. Back successful the 1990s, it was due to the fact that of the war.

But the aforesaid images are being shown, successful 2023, arsenic a effect of ongoing instability and clime change.

Unexpectedly, the astir close representation of Somalia I got was done TikTok.

#SomaliTikTok is immense and the hashtag has amassed immoderate 77 cardinal views.

Through societal media I got a glimpse into regular beingness successful Mogadishu, done the lenses of some locals and radical similar myself. This pushed maine to spell and spot it with my ain eyes and adjacent see relocating here.

Of people Mogadishu is inactive a unsafe place, the al-Qaeda-affiliated radical al-Shabab remains an progressive threat. An onslaught successful October killed much than 100 people.

But there's different broadside to the metropolis that is seldom shown - the fearfulness of instability means that astir Westerners bash not question freely.

The lone achromatic look I person seen is successful the confines of the high-security airdrome village.

But the existent essence of Mogadishu tin lone beryllium experienced done its restaurants, markets, beaches and people.

The metropolis comes to beingness astatine nighttime and is champion explored connected a bajaja - a Somali rickshaw.

"There's six bajaja's for each person," 1 operator joked.

The acquainted foods and flavours punctual maine of my mum's cooking.

African staples similar nutrient and atom are ever served with caller bananas, alongside dishes similar spicy spaghetti Bolognese, from the country's Italian assemblage past.

Local fishermen transportation elephantine uncommon tuna crossed their shoulders, worthy tens of thousands of dollars successful Japan.

Sadly, a deficiency of infrastructure and concern successful the country's once-budding sportfishing manufacture means they seldom reap the rewards.

But arsenic President Hassan Sheik Mohamud passes a twelvemonth successful office, there's a increasing consciousness that the state is connected the way to rebuilding.

"You spot the operation everywhere, we're improving slowly, God willing," my 24-year-old bajaja operator points out.

Like many, helium is yet to acquisition a unchangeable Somalia. The warfare broke retired successful 1991 and astir 75% of the country's colonisation is nether 30.

He remains optimistic but our speech highlights the blaring inequality.

Like galore diaspora, I person the privilege of choosing to return.

While different Somalis, particularly those extracurricular the superior are seeking a mode out.

In 2022, Somalia accounted for the eighth highest fig of refugees globally, according to the United Nations.

Somalia is 1 of the world's astir climate-vulnerable countries and utmost upwind events person forced hundreds of thousands from their homes, with the worst drought successful 40 years present giving mode to flash floods.

As we thrust further into the city, I announcement the buildings, some caller and old, and respect the Islamic Afro-Italian architecture.

They are fortified down factual barriers and stacks of sandbags. And connected astir each country of the metropolis is simply a young serviceman equipped with an AK-47 rifle.

Calls to supplication are blasted done speakers and interspersed with the dependable of distant gunshots.

Despite this, I consciousness a heavy consciousness of hope. And I'm not alone.

The metropolis is filled with different diaspora, often from Minnesota oregon Toronto, arsenic good arsenic section Somalis determined to cultivate stability.

"I judge successful my country," a young businesswoman tells me.

She says she ne'er wants to leave.

"We tin bring backmost the Somalia our parents told america about," she adds.