Is Somalia safe for white people in 2023? | Sam of Somalia Blog 1

Is Somalia a safe place to live for a white fellow from Cornwall? That's the elephant in the room isn't it?

So let's launch this new blog with that very question. Welcome to the Sam of Somalia Blog, entry 1 - Is Somalia Safe?

I am writing this in Mogadishu, 20th April 2023. However, I have been here since late August 2022. This is entry 1, but I plan to be publish new entries every week so please keep an eye on this space and subscribe to the newsletter if you're interested in life in Somalia.

*This article is a brief introduction of my own personal experience here and should not be taken as prescriptive or as advice for your own travels. You are responsible for taking the proper measures for your own safe travel and you should consider the advice of your local travel experts... 

I arrived in Mogadishu nearly 8 months ago with my wife and two sons (aged 3 and 6) in tow. I had all of the preconceived ideas about Somalia that anyone else from the English countryside would - I had seen Captain Phillips and the first 20 minutes of Black Hawk Down. I couldn't bear any more than that. But it was plenty to ensure an early 2000s fear of Mogadishu. 

So as the four of us came out of Aden Adde airport dragging 12 suitcases containing our hopes of a new life, I was nervous to see that some of the media depictions of Somalia were true...

My brother in law met us with two 4x4s and an armored pick up truck.

Around 12 men sat in the back with their legs draped over the edge, all with AK47s slung over their shoulders, except for one who was stood in the middle manning the antiaircraft gun.

There are signs of conflict here. I can't deny that. You will see weapons and armored vehicles and you will have to stop at checkpoints if you drive around the city. But after 8 months here, I've come to realize that the signs of danger don't necessarily mean that you are in danger.

For the time we have been here, we haven't seen any issues at all ourselves and mathematically the chances of being hurt in an attack or being kidnapped are very very...very low. millions of trips are made around the city every week and a tiny percentage encounter any danger. That's not to say it's negligible, just that it doesn't conform to the 'safe' VS 'absolute mayhem' dichotomy that our brains tend to conjure up. 

For many Somalis, the trauma of what Mogadishu went through a decade ago still lives on. I'm not saying Somalia has completely left it's security issues behind, the weapons and the attitudes are to defend against 2012 threats and it is most definitely better to be safe than sorry.

So what does all of this mean for me?

When I arrived, my family were understandably cautious about me going out by myself. Not so much because I don't look Somali, but because the people in our area just didn't know me yet. There are lots of non-Somalis here who live perfectly normal lives. My neighbors here are Yemenis and there are lots of Syrian refugees here too. But in my experience, showing that you are part of a local Somali family helps to dispel any suspicion there may be of you. It's simply better to have local ties as a non-Somali when praying in the local mosques, at the beach and chatting to the kids playing outside. 

Despite that, I usually only go out with family or with an 'askari' (guard) unless it's just a walk to the beech or down the street to a family member's house. In those cases, I feel fine with the simple fact that the locals know me and which family I am part of. 

When you consider this anecdotal situation of mine, please consider that there are multiple degrees which may make Mogadishu less safe for me than for others. Most people considering moving to Somalia are themselves Somalis, unlike me. People considering Somalia are also most likely not public figures like me. And, whilst it may seem like I am taking a huge security measure by having a guard with me sometimes, this is because my brother in law has a security team around his business so there's always someone I can say: "Guriga Axmad waa aadayaa, ma i soo raaci kartaa? (I'm going to Ahmed's house, can you come with me?).

 To round up, security is a concern here. But that security can be navigated, even by someone with the odds against him like myself. Although the situation in the city can change day-by-day, generally Mogadishu is resilient and is climbing out of the darkness of it's hardships.

If I were to give the most concise answer to my question: "Is Somalia safe for white people in 2023?". The answer would be 'I think so'... I offer this optimistic, yet tentative answer because I am not 'white people'. I am a Muslim white person who is Syrian passing to the locals and I speak Arabic and enough Somali to be understood. I also live in an area where 99% of people have never seen my online content and know me as no more than a Syrian guy who's probably a refugee or working here. I'm also somewhat experienced in conflicted areas having been to university in Palestine. 

I know this has offered a lot to consider, but my objective here has been to provide a simple starter article to this new blog which I hope will open a conversation about building a better, more prosperous future for Somalia. Of course, there is a lot more that I could have included. I'm presenting this as a start to the conversation, not an attempt at an exhaustive review. 

If you'd like me to expand on anything or cover any topics in particular about life in Somalia, then please get in touch at [email protected] and to keep in touch you can follow me on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram or join the mailing list www.samofsomalia.com

You can also support the blog and get priority info/content by joining a community of people who want more for Somalia at https://www.patreon.com/SamofSomalia.