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Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed arrived Saturday in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, to begin his three-day visit to normalize relations.
It is the first visit of a Somali president to Eritrea, one of the Since the independence of Ethiopia in 1993, the two countries have not more diplomatic ties for almost 15 years.
Abdinur Mohamed, a spokesman for the Somali president, said on Twitter that the country "is ready to write a new chapter of its relations with Eritrea."
Economic and security concerns are at first row of concerns, as well as "regional issues of interest to both countries," said the Eritrean Ministry of Information. The Information Minister of Eritrea, said the three-day visit was at the invitation of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who has headed since the country's independence. Meskel wrote on Twitter that the leaders "have already held a summit", sharing photos of the meeting.
Previous Somali administrations accused Eritrea of supporting the extremist group of Al-Shabab based in Somalia. Eritrea, which remains subject to UN sanctions, denied it by saying that the accusations had been made by Ethiopia.
Progress in the Horn of Africa
Ethiopia signed a peace agreement
Ethiopia announced that it would accept fully the terms of a 2000 peace agreement that she had previously refused to honor. This decision officially marked the end of a military stalemate in a border war that killed tens of thousands of them
Read more: Peace between Ethiopia and the United States Eritrea will promote democracy
under the new reformist prime minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power earlier this year. Ahmed has already called for the end of UN sanctions against Eritrea
The UN Secretary-General said the sanctions could be obsolete.
Improved relations are of great interest to the Gulf States just across the Gulf of Aden. the Red Sea. They were already arguing for influence in African countries along one of the world's largest shipping lanes, including Somalia and Eritrea.
The United Arab Emirates has attempted to repair relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The Persian Gulf country has also established a military base in the Assab port in Eritrea after a Saudi-led coalition launched a war against Shia rebels in Yemen in 2015. [19659014] Somalia 260 Meer al Doppel-Anschlag in Mogadishu (Reuters / Reuters) F. Omar) “/>
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Facing terror
The truck was loaded with explosives and was exploded at a busy intersection in the heart of Mogadishu in the afternoon of September 14, 2017. bomb explosion killed at least 276 people and injured hundreds of others. It was the worst terrorist attack in the history of Somalia. Nearly three decades of civil war and terror have also deprived the population of its resistance to drought.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Fighting famine – a Somali reality
Xamdi is a child of Somali nomads and was in the nutrition district of Banadir Hospital of Mogadishu since the beginning of the month of August. Her mother feeds her with the paste 'Plumpy' Nut ' peanut-based to prevent severe acute malnutrition. Xamdi is three years old and weighs only seven kilograms. Most children in Germany in the same age group weigh twice as much. About 800,000 Somalis face famine.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
collapsed health system – even in the capital
This boy recovers in the bed next to Xamdi. It fights pneumonia, one of the most common infections caused by chronic malnutrition and overcrowding conditions in Mogadishu refugee camps. His hands are wrapped in paper to prevent him from getting out his feeding tube. The Banadir Hospital is the largest public clinic in the capital, but even here the collapse of the health system is visible
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Mogadishu – city of refugees
Mogadishu is full of makeshift houses. Many nomads and rural people are determined to stay. They fled civil war, terror, violence and hunger. The population of the city has increased by nearly 2.5 million inhabitants. At least 600,000 people are officially considered "displaced persons"
Mogadishu – city of extremes
The life of camp is very expensive
The cluttered and unhealthy living conditions in the camps are a health hazard. Acute respiratory infections and diarrhea are common diseases among the displaced population of Mogadishu. Life in the makeshift camps is a daily struggle for the next meal and the next bucket of water
Mogadishu – city extremes
Life in Waiting
There is not much to do inside the camps but to sit and wait. Many children do not have access to education. Most makeshift camps lack playgrounds or other recreational areas.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
City of ruins
There are many difficulties on the outside the camps too. The old part of Mogadishu is particularly marked by nearly three decades of internal conflict. But there are also signs of new beginnings.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Selfie time
Beginning of September 2017: These young people have fun in the peace park of Mogadishu. All are students, all expressing their faith in the new government of President Mohamed, supported by the West. One of them wants to become an engineer of civil aviation. He says: "It's a lot safer here than it was five years ago." Five years ago, al-Shabaab ruled the capital. Today, extremists send kamikazes
Mogadishu – city of extremes [19659016] No hand grenades
at the entrance of the Peace Park, visitors are reminded to leave behind Kalashnikovs, knives, hand grenades and pistols.
Mogadishu – city of the extremes
The place of happening
The beach of Liido attracts Huge crowds especially after Friday prayers. People meet to dance and play football. Football is extremely popular in Somalia. Young lovers meet to court each other. Mogadishu's Liido Beach was abandoned under the brief rule of al-Shabaab of the capital.
Mogadishu – city of the extremes
Reconstruction in full swing
The international community began to invest in the reconstruction of the Somali broken state. Reconstruction is most visible in the capital. This new street was built with Turkish help. Turkey has also established a huge military base in Mogadishu to train Somali soldiers.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Walls and fences
New villas spring up all over the city. The diaspora returning from Somalia is investing in Mogadishu's booming real estate market. So politicians and other strong men. Most new buildings are surrounded by high anti-explosion walls and accordion cables to repel terrorists, criminals and rivals.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Green zone
The airport region has become the center of expatriates. Like Baghdad and Kabul, Mogadishu has a green zone. The United Nations and most returning diplomatic missions live and work in the vast complex that has developed around the Mogadishu International Airport. It is fenced and guarded by troops of the African Union.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
City of murals
Most Mogadishu Art store windows display hand-painted murals that add color to a slowly rising city from its ruins.
Mogadishu
Online Shopping
Modern billboards are also conquering the streets , advertising online for Arabic fashion or application details for private educational institutions.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Not for everyone
New attractions in the city are out of reach for many displaced and the poor. The progress and stability of Somalia will depend on the ability of the state to gain the trust of its people. At present, nearly seven million people, about half of the country's population, depend on humanitarian aid.
Mogadishu – city of extremes
Bulging youth
More than half of the population of the Somalia is under 18 years old. born after the overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 – the crucial event that made the country a failing state. Young people in the capital, although not significantly engaged, often feel deprived of their rights, adding to Somalia's lingering vulnerability.
Author: Sandra Petersmann
