Somalia
Visitors should strongly avoid travel to Somalia due to a very dangerous security situation. See the United States State Department warning in the health and safety section.
The Italians, British and Ethiopians were all involved in Somalia prior to independence in 1960. A coup nine years later ushered in Mohamed Siad Barre, who remained the country’s authoritarian ruler until he was overthrown in 1991. Factional fighting, anarchy and famine followed, prompting intervention by United Nations peacekeepers and American troops. They later withdrew and the country was run by warlords. Peace talks in Kenya led to the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government. It is backed by Ethiopia and struggles to main control of the capital, Mogadishu, to prevent warlords from regaining control.
Somalia has a population of nine million. Islam is the predominant religion. Somali is the main language, although Arabic, English and Italian are all also spoken. Because Somalia was so heavily influenced by Muslims as early as the 7th century, Islamic culture pervades the nation with religious practices and lifestyles.
AIR There are about sixty airports in Somalia. Out of these sixty, only six airports have paved runways. Therefore most of the flights that ply within Somalia are light and suitable for landing and taking-off on unpaved surfaces. Even Ethiopian Airlines operate light aircrafts from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Hargeisa in Somalia.Hergeisa in north Somalia, and Mogadishu in southern Somalia are the two main airports in Somalia. In addition to Mogadishu and Hergeisa, Berbera, Bender Cassim, Garrowe, Galcaio, Beledweyne, and Baidoa, and Chisimayu are the other important locations having air connections. Somalia is under-served with international flights. The flights into Somalia from the neighbouring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya are mostly cargo with a few commercial passenger flights into Mogadishu. For the period covering the war, Mogadishu airport was closed to international flights until June last year when the SCIC opened it up for international flights to operate officially. Flights from Kenya to Somalia are mostly charters but with an average of 15 scheduled flights, mostly cargo flights ferrying Khat from Kenya into Somalia. Flight connections from Kenya can only be made through Djibouti or Addis Ababa. Djibouti, which acts the lifeblood for Somali's rundown aviation industry, is well-connected by air with Hergeisa, Mogadishu and other destinations into Somalia. The Ethiopian airlines also operate light aircrafts into Somalia. The UN has major relief operations into Somalia. UN approval is required for use of these flights. The UN users are required to pay an airport tax of US$60 dollars for using the airports in Hergeisa and Puntland. Somalia has no other international flights except Addis. Traveling to Somalia is both a tedious affair as well as a dusty one. The runways are unpaved and this can constitute a major risk factor for dust. The airlines operating into the country include Daallo Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines. Somali Airlines, the official Somalia airline services which was formed in 1964, ceased operations in 1993.
Daallo Airlines not only connects Somalia to the rest of the world through Djibouti, but also some of the major towns in Somalia. The cities of Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Berbera, Garoowe, Galcaio, Beledweyne, Baidoa and Kismaayo are connected to each other by flights operated by Daallo Airlines. These airlines have safety records with no accidents and travelers are recommended to use Daallo flights and NOT Ethiopian airline flights due to security concerns caused by tension between Islamists in Somalia, who accuse Addis Ababa of helping the interim government to end a six-month rule by the SCIC in Mogadishu in January, 2007. Somalia is just returning to a semblance of normalcy in a decade and a half in complete turmoil. The main sea ports and the airports have for a long time been in the control of various militia groups. These have governed these seaports and airports as their main sources of revenue, which is partly why they managed to keep the civil war running. However, the TFG has tried to regain control of these facilities and installations with the help of Ethiopian troops with a marked level of success. Some of these airports and seaports have now reverted to the control of the local authorities, whose leaders are appointed by the TFG leadership of President Abdullahi Yusuf. Due to the volatility still eminent in parts of Somalia and especially the clashes between the Islamic militants and Ethiopian troops manning some of these facilities, there exists heavy potential for conflict especially for control of these key installations. Piracy is ripe in and around these areas and travelers must remain on the watch when using any of these facilities. There have been reports of attacks, especially believed to target civilians and military targets who may be viewed to be allies of TFG. Visitors are advised to take precautionary measures and avoid visiting these facilities when not necessary.SEA SAFETY Somali's territorial waters are rated as the world's most-piracy infested. The pirates are known to attack ships plying the Eastern Africa coast and the piracy ordeals are known to last for months, some as long as six and often result in losses of lives and vandalism of the vessels. These attacks are carried out with heavy weapons and other advanced machinery. If you intend to take a cruise ship that passes around the Indian Ocean coast, precautionary measures should be taken to ensure that the Somali coastal waters are avoided. Organisations which intend to transport relief supplies to the region should make the necessary contacts with opinion leaders in Somalia, including powerful clan elders to get advance assurance that the shipments would not be interfered with. Sailors are advised to keep a safe distance of about 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast while on transit from the Gulf of Aden. The pirates are known to use motherships to attack shipping further than 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast. Sailors must maintain a high level of vigilance and to exercise extreme caution when anywhere near Somali waters. The safe mode for vessels is to maintain good communication contact while around the Horn of African region. Ships at sea around the region are closely monitored on Marine channels 13 and 16 VHF-FM, which are international emergency channels. Incase of an emergency, visitors are advised to use HF international call-up and emergency channels of communication. Transit routes across the Gulf of Aden farther offshore could lessen the risk of contact with suspected attackers. Sailors are cautioned to avoid loitering in or transiting isolated or remote areas while in trafficked sea-lanes. Its advisable to consider activating Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) incase of any piracy attacks by Somali gunmen who demand ransom after holding visitors hostage. Freighters are also at liberty to contact the Yemeni Coast Guard 24-hour Operations Center at (967) 1-562-402. Communication is by English and Arabic and assistance may be delayed due to the distance.TOURISMDespite existing tourist attractions, both the Islamic Courts which took control of the restive capital from mid last year until January this year and TFG have taken measures to promote tourism in the country. However, despite numerous insecurity problems coupled with corruption the beauty side of Somalia remains unrivalled despite the country having not had a single tourist for the past 16 years. Tourism which is a leading foreign exchange earner in neighboring Kenya provides a guide to various tourist attractions in Somalia. It also suggests various tourist activities even though the demand is often unmet by insufficient supply of services. Once dubbed, The Florence of Africa due Italian colonial history, Mogadishu remains the most beautiful seaside city on the Indian Ocean. The city's Bakara Market, the biggest market in Somalia and East Africa at large has been the centre of attraction as it displays the color and the flavor of the country of Somalia. Famous for its mouth-watering street food made with the most simple and the basic condiments found in Somalia, Bakara market has shot up to fame because of its role in the 1991 war, which is also referred to as 'Black Hawk Down', where Somali insurgents killed dozens of United States troops in Mogadishu. However, visitors are advised to take precaution as the market has recently been a battlefield between insurgents and Ethiopian-backed government forces over arms confiscation.
Apart from Bakara market, Shanghai Old city is one of the landmark places to visit in Somalia. The Old city which is known for its picturesque, attractiveness has been restricted to visitors/tourists because it s manned by the warlords and the wealthy businessmen of the city who take visitors take foreigners hostage to demand ransom.
Sinbusi Beach, which is situated about 5 kilometers away from the city of Merca is also another most sought after sightseeing spot in Somalia because of its striking view of the sea. The picturesque beauty of the sea and the natural provides the instinctive peace of mind and soul. Visitors are advised to avoid this place because of kidnapping by the local militia groups.
While early civilizations were flourishing in the lower Nile Valley several thousand years ago, there was a migration southward into this region. Most of these early settlers were Cushites of caucasoid origin such as the Berbers and the ancient Egyptians and Nubians. About 1,500 years ago Negroid peoples arrived from the west and in the course of time extensive intermixing occurred. Arab and Persian merchant mariners founded the port of Mogadishu in the 10th Century and subsequently Merca, Brava, Kismayu, Lamu, Kilwa and other settlements further to the south. First the Hawiya Cushite clan near Mogadishu and in the ensuing years most others adopted the Muslim faith. In the 16th Century the area bordering the Gulf of Aden was part of the Turkish Ottoman empire. The Portuguese controlled the coastal centers in the south but were driven out early in the 18th Century by the Omani Arabs who gained control of the coast from Zanzibar and Mombasa to Mogadishu. Through all this activity the Somali peoples remained divided. At the height of the colonial era at turn of the 19th Century the Somalis were ruled by three European powers-France, Britain and Italy-and Ethiopia, in five separate regions. By mutual agreement, Italian and British Somaliland were united and given their independence as the united Republic of Somalia in 1960, while French Somaliland became the independent Republic of Djibouti in 1977. Somalis continue to live in Kenya's North-West Frontier province and in Ethiopia's Ogaden desert. After a brief period of democracy, the Republic of Somalia fell under the power of General Mohammed Siad Barre, who nationalized the economy as part of his economically disastrous policy of "scientific socialism."