Mogadishu: Living in War
Warlords, foreign governments, armed factions and militia have fought over Somalia for nearly 20 years, and Mogadishu has been the stage for many of these battles.
The streets of the capital now betray little of the rich and cultured past of this city, with only shelled-out remnants of many of the grandiose buildings that used to characterise this coastal city.
Mogadishu's youth has grown up knowing nothing but war, a brutal reality that dictates their everyday lives. Schools move with the front-lines, and lives are destroyed by the bullets. But Somalis have an unparalleled tenacity in this environment, coping and building their lives amidst the chaos.
A woman stands by a wall in central Mogadishu, behind which a small camp for internally displaced persons lies. Many have been forced to leave their homes throughout the whole country due to fighting, either leaving their traditional homelands, or moving within cities to areas offering a little more security.
Mogadishu, Somalia · May 2011
