Somali capital, Mogadishu. 1977. Photo: AFP
Reconstruction of Somali Central Bank by Transitional Federal Government. Kind of cool. Top photo (1960s). Bottom (2011). You can find more photos of the Central Somali Bank today on line. Usually you see guards protecting it.
A Somali woman. Mogadishu, Somalia; 1979.
1960s Somalia’s Presidential Office. It was first inhabited by President Aden Abdullah Osman (pictured here), the first democratically elected president of post of colonial Somalia. #vintagesomalia
Somali Navy. The issue of piracy today has a lot to do with their being no Somali Navy to patrol and protect Somali waters today. With the collapse of the central government in 1991, the Somali Navy ceased to exist. One more thing the Somali Navy use to colloborate with the Somali Air Force to patrol and prevent ships from illegally infringing on Somali maritime borders. The Somali Air Force ceased to exist after the collapse of the central government in 1991 as well. ALOT of problems came when this happened. Illegal fishing was one. Dumping of harmful wastes on Somali waters was another. The banding of former Somali fisherman and later the issue of piracy became another. Not many have really told the true story of piracy in a mainstream way especially in particular to Somalia. I know the issue has gotten very complex today, but take this as a start to learn more. I will comeback to this another time.
Update: According to reports Somali piracy costs the world economy an estimated US$7-billion a year
The UAE sentenced 10 Somalis to life in imprisonment for high jacking a UAE cargo ship
Somali National University (Mogadishu). It was created in 1954. There were three campuses (1. Gaheyr - Mogadishu at KM6, 2. Digfeer - Medicine school near Digfeer Hospital in Mogadishu, and 3. Lafoole Teaching College - Lafoole). Initially the language of instruction was Italian, but later also included Somali and English. Siad Barre’s government (no bias here) really did play an important role in expanding the national university and higher education through the country in the 1970’s. Research centers were established throughout different cities with the goal of developing the national economy.
The fifteen departments of Somali National University were:
1. Department of Sharia Law
2. Department of Linguistics (Somali, Arabic, English, German and Italian)
3. Department of Livestock and Forest Management
4. Department of Education (Teaching College at Lafoole), 20 km west of Mogadishu
5. Department of Agriculture
6. Department of Geology and Mining
7. Department of Medicine (College of Medicine) near Digfeer Hospital
8. Department of Chemical/Industrial Engineering
9. Department of History
10. Department of Geography
11. Department of Science
12. Department of Mathematics
13. Department of Public Health
14. Department of Engineering
15. Department of Political Science
Somali school children in Somalia. The kids uniforms are very Somali ( in terms of colors I mean). Their teacher looks hip too. I wonder what happened to this generation of children who enjoyed education, peace, and opportunities non existent today in Somalia.
Radio Mogadishu 1963 #vintagesomalia
An international city that celebrated the role of women.
March 8th, 1981 International Women’s Day poster from Mogadishu. If you look at the poster which is in both Arabic and Somali (Somalia is part of the Arab League for those that don’t know), you can see all the roles of Somali women during that time.
#vintagesomalia
Mogadishu Old fort
