Somali Public Agenda
March 22, 2023
Safety and Security in Mogadishu
This safety and security study on Mogadishu examines the everyday issues of insecurity that different residents experience and react to in two districts of Mogadishu – Hodan and Kahda. Hodan is a relatively central district of Mogadishu, home to a booming real-estate market, a growing middle class of professionals working in business, the humanitarian sector and state offices, as well as high-profile targets for Al Shabaab violence. In this district, exposure to unpredictable Al Shabaab attacks and fears of increasing street crime (violent armed robbery by youth gangs and/or members of security forces) were primary concerns reported by residents. Kahda is a more peripheral district that has only emerged as a recognized entity over the last 15 years. The settlement and development of the area are a result of significant displacement-linked in-migration from southern regions, as well as displacements of former inner-city residents as a result of earlier phases of urban violence and evictions. There is a much higher density of camps in Kahda (in comparison to Hodan) but also an increasing proportion of permanent structures and more ‘upscale’ development. Robbery was also reported as a major concern for many residents in this district, irrespective of whether they lived in camps or permanent dwellings. However, sexual and gender-based violence was a particular concern for the district’s most vulnerable residents: widowed or divorced women living in ill-secured IDP camps.
Good publications.