Young Somalis in Mogadishu seek normality despite Al-Shabaab
Young Somalis in Mogadishu are reclaiming beaches and creative spaces and trying to rebuild normal life, even as Al-Shabaab remains a serious security threat.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
In Mogadishu, young Somalis are trying to reclaim public life and rebuild the city's cultural image, even as Al-Shabaab remains a serious security threat. The capital was once described as one of the most dangerous cities in the world, but residents say it has never felt safer and young people are pushing for a rebrand.
An estimated 70% of Somalia's population is under the age of 24. Much of that effort is led by young creatives. Somali Kenyan photographer Ferdowsa Hessen moved to Mogadishu nine years ago and built a space with fellow artists, photographers and other creatives to reimagine their country. "To be very honest, the Western media has a very skewed picture of Somalia specifically," she said. Another creative said that war does not stop ordinary life: people marry, children play and daily routines continue.
Mogadishu is a historic port town that has endured cycles of civil war and countless terror attacks. Its streets are lined with crumbling buildings punctured by bullets and damaged by bombs, standing next to new structures from a building boom. Residents say the city feels safer. This year, the conflict monitoring group ACLED recorded the lowest number of fatalities from Al-Shabaab attacks since the group formed in 2006.
Security challenges remain. Al-Shabaab has operated in Somalia for 20 years and pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2012. Its name means the youth, and the group has recruited boys and young men, galvanised by jihadist ideology and the presence of foreign troops. A former commander called Ali said he left the group three months ago, 18 years after he was recruited at 15. He said operations target the government and its partners, and that while civilians may be killed, the target is the enemy. He said Al-Shabaab believes civilians killed as collateral damage will go to heaven.
Lido Beach, the most famous beach in Somalia, shows the tension. Al-Shabaab has attacked it at least five times in the last ten years. The last incident, in August 2024, was carried out by a suicide bomber who killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 60. The beach is now busy with young and old people who refuse to give up their favourite hangout. "Swimming is my remedy. I get a lot of happiness when I come to the beach," one person said.
The picture is of a city in calm and in chaos, with all its layers and phases, and a place people lovingly call home.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A former Al-Shabaab commander named Ali, recruited at 15, left the group after 18 years about three months ago. | |
| A suicide bombing at Lido Beach in August 2024 killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 60. | |
| ACLED recorded the lowest number of fatalities from Al-Shabaab attacks since the group formed in 2006. | |
| Around 70% of Somalia's population is estimated to be under 24 years old. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The report is a humanising tour of Mogadishu, built around young creatives, beachgoers and residents who say the city is safer. It balances that hope with reminders that Al-Shabaab remains active and includes an interview with a former commander. The framing is explicitly corrective: it argues that Western coverage has given a skewed picture of Somalia.
- “To be very honest, the Western media has a very skewed picture of Somalia specifically.”
- “Residents tell us their city has never felt safer”
- “Swimming is my remedy. I get a lot of happiness when I come to the beach.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 03:20 BST
Ferdowsa Hessen, Somali Kenyan photographer
Sky News · Sun 18 Oct
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.