Somalia: Unlikely pageant
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- Posted On 20-07-2015, 12:14PM
About the author 
Abdirashid M. Dahir is blogger and manages Somalia infrastructure paper.
Speed read
- Somalia grabs headlines as failed state, pirate hotbed and poor nation.
- Young budding photographers with very rare access to digital photography schools snap breathtaking shots.
- Born and raised in hostile environment, they see a promising future.
On the streets of Mogadishu, it is noticeable that construction industry is booming and glitzy towers are gradually replacing potholes and bullet-ridden shacks. “This is flashy Mogadishu,” a female photographer, Zahra Qorane Omar rehearsed.
“I realized that nobody except for me and my peers would stand up for this country to show the new image of Somalia because every human is an asset for his or her country,” said Omar, one of very few female photographers in Mogadishu.
Safari apartment in Mogadishu as Somalis are scrambling to rebuild the capital from the scratch, on May 2, 2015 [Photo: Zahra Qorane]
Patriotic slogan written in Somali reads ‘Every country is rebuilt by its people’ [Photo: Zahra Qorane]
Having mired into unrelenting conflict for over two decades, Mogadishu lures you into peeps of new shopping centres, solar-powered street lights lined along major roads and tall structures as far as the eye can see.
Energetic Somali photographers nowadays reflect well on the very image of a country that has been synonymous with one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of humanity, piracy, bout of drought, famine and poverty.
Fighting tore apart Mogadishu in 1990s and tens of thousands were forced to flee into neighboring countries to shelter under makeshifts while others were left in chaos.
If you log in for social media or hit #Somalia hash-tag, you will find better candid photographs letting out beautiful sandy beaches, extraordinary nomadic tradition, gorgeous landscape photos and unrivalled portraits.
In Hargeisa, Somali-Canadian, Ikram Isse bewrays conspicuous relics. She wants to share positive depiction and let the world understand that Somali stories are no longer dark.
Life has inspired her most to display the Somalia the media never portrays, a country adorned with love, happiness and prosperity via her iPhone and iPad.
Most of the time, you can look at her love for shooting on Instagram.
Teenage football players get on encounter inside a local stadium in neighborhood [Photo: Ikram Isse]
Mohamed Dahir Aynsane is a photojournalist in Puntland which has been relatively at peace when compared to south-central regions. He said, he aims to tackle what world believes about Somalia by capturing shots speaking volume about the country’s path to recovery after more than 20 years of unrest.
“I strongly believe that too many photos will build a fresh narrative unlike the image media has in mind, for example Somalia is known for interminable chaos, hunger and hostility,” Aynsane says.
His colleague, Mohamed Salad Haji Dirir pointed to challenges facing their profession due to the absence of serenity and functioning government institutions. He recounts mistreatment by inept soldiers, mainly drawn from former clan militias and those who couldn’t even earn a morsel for living.
“Our photographs show off a new potency that Somalis were able to withstand the brunt and have now started renovating roads, investing in healthcare and the launch of universities,” Aynsane told me while insisting on his rigid dedication to display another side of Somalia.
With us, Dirir who was motivated by his media boss in 2011 rates these photos the best and all-time-favorite shots. Everyday life is awash with killings, suicide bombings and struggle for control in war-torn Somalia.
Two worried children stand next to their mom after they got ferried to a commercial boat docked at Bossaso port following flare-up of Yemen civil war on April 11, 2015 [Photo: Dirir]
Distraught children on unseaworthy boat at Bossaso port before being disembarked on April 11, 2015 [Photo: Dirir]
Agriculture-rich village of Karin is situated 40km south of the Gulf of Aden port city of Bossaso [Photo: Dirir]
Buzzing seaport of Bossaso is the second busiest after Mogadishu and gears up for extensive renovation [Photo: Dirir]
Somali nomad carries firewood on donkey in semi-arid Sool region of northern Somalia [Photo: Dirir]
Given prevailing stability, Bossaso is by far the most cosmopolitan city in Somalia [Photo: Dirir]
Bossaso forms the tip of the horn of Africa and has been epicenter for what seems to be sturdy competition being spawned by photography mania. It was a mere shanty town over twenty years ago but being more stable than other port towns made it popular throughout Somalia.
The Gulf of Aden port city is bustling because of its close proximity to Middle East markets. Aynsane shares his panoramic views, from booming businesses and recovery to sense of optimism.
Somalia’s fastest growing city escaped the worst upheavals in the country over the last two decades [Photo: Aynsane]
Somali children see hope in a country recovering from worst civil war since independence in 1960 [Photo: Aynsane]
Its close proximity to Middle East markets made it bustling town with high rise buildings [Photo: Aynsane]
Lorries loaded with livestock arrive in Bossaso port town on daily basis [Photo: Aynsane]
Despite consecutive years of famine and conflict, enrolment at primary schools increased according to UNICEF [Photo: Aynsane]
Portrait photography of Somali elder inside a teashop in northeastern Somalia [Photo: Aynsane]
Two Somali clan elders exchange views on the current political situation in Bargal coastal town which forms the tip of the horn [Photo: Aynsane]
Schoolboys play a football on earthen pitch in Kalabayr village, 60km south of Puntland capital, Garowe [Photo: Aynsane]
The government has awarded Dubai-based firm, Divers Marine contracting L.L.C a contract to expand Bossaso port. The project includes construction of new terminals, fuel storage facilities and extension of shipping networks to handle increasing cargo volume.
Eyl, 1166km northeast of Mogadishu and former pirate hub is another destination for young photographers in the country. Ali Abdi Du’allle is novice in photography and just started snapping the nature this year.
“I love to operate canon 60D to get meaningful and breathtaking photos, God willing I hope to use Canon 5D Mark III sometime in the near future,” said Du’alle.
He would like to share sunrise over unpatrolled waters off Eyl coastline with us.
Eyl coastal town is former pirate hub but a state-wide crackdown and on-land raids cleansed the town of piracy activities [Photo: Du’alle]
Female camels graze on green pasture in Nugal Valley [Photo: Du'alle]
Photographers, even from the Diaspora drive into Eyl coastal town for photography exposure [Photo: Du'alle]
Fishermen drag small vessel along surf rolling onto white sand beach of Eyl in northeastern Somalia [Photo: Du'alle]
With Somalis abroad returning home and New Deal compact being got off the ground, Somalia’s economic recovery is more visible than ever.
