Abstract
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Somali Public Agenda |
| Commissioning body | African Cities Research Consortium |
| Number of pages | 37 |
| Publication status | Published - 22 Mar 2023 |
Keywords
- Security
- Conflict
- Somalia
- Mogadishu
