Stray mortars, bombs and bullets are the single biggest threat facing Mogadishu residents. The brutal Al-Shabab militants are known to fire indiscriminately or shell civilian areas and then accuse AMISOM and TFG forces as part of their propaganda war in Somalia.

Stray bullets and mortars cause mayhem in Mogadishu.

 

By Guled Mohamed

November 12, Mogadishu – Insecurity still remains as the biggest challenge facing Mogadishu residents who have been forced to put with stray bullets, mortars and bombs that end up killing and maiming innocent civilian population miles away from the epicentre of the gun duels where opposing forces continue to engage each other.

 

At the main seaport officials say several civilians are wounded almost everyday from stray bullets and occasional mortars hurled by Al-Shabab militias targeting African Union peacekeepers securing the port which is the main lifeline for both humanitarian suppliers meant for the needy Somalis as well millions of others across the country who depend on the facility for their daily livelihood. 

 

AMISOM spokesman Major Barigye Ba-Hoku couldn’t agree more.

 

“The main problem with these stray munitions is that it kills people far away from the battle ground. It is really sad and worrying,” he said.

 

The man in charge of seaport security has a reason to be worried too.

 

“The people working in the seaport are recipients of these stray bullets. Someone has to be hit by these stray bullets almost everyday here. Unfortunately most of the victims are civilians. Just recently a stray mortar landed at the seaport luckily no one was hurt or killed,” Major Katongole said.

 

Stray mortars, bombs and bullets are the single biggest threat facing Mogadishu residents. The brutal Al-Shabab militants are known to fire indiscriminately or shell civilians and then accuse AMISOM and TFG forces as part of their propaganda war in Somalia.

 

 

I saw at least 15 civilians half of them children receiving treatment at the main AMISOM hospital run by Ugandan peacekeepers all of who had either been shot by a stray bullet or injured by mortar. Some of the children had missing limbs.

 

I found nine year old Hawa on a wheelchair outside her ward. She was wounded by a stray mortar that landed in their house in August killing most of her family members. She and her elder sister were the only survivors. The fatal injuries she sustained that day means she has to live without her two legs that were both amputated to save her life.

 

“I miss my parents and siblings. I wish I could play with the children but I cannot because I don’t have legs. We were playing in our house when suddenly I heard a big bhang. My mother, 2 brothers and a sister were all killed. I sustained injuries to both my legs which were amputated. It was really painful. I now feel much better after receiving treatment at AMISOM hospital,” Hawa said with an infectious smile.

 

She quietly sat keenly watching other children playing outside a paediatric ward perhaps wishing she could join in.

 

Fifteen year old Fatuma Abdi is yet another victim shot by a stray bullet at a different date and location. She was shot in the back near their house in Hodan district which is close to the western Mogadishu frontline where Al-Shabab militias are fighting hard to retake positions they lost to government forces and their backers AMISOM peacekeepers from Burundi.

 

Her mother, Halima Hilowle says she found her lying in a pool of blood and immediately rushed her to a nearby hospital run by peacekeepers from Burundi.

 

When I later saw her at the clinic, little Fatuma was too fretful to speak holding her neck where the bullet was still lodged.

 

When she was called into the operating theatre, doctors allowed me to witness the surgery led by Dr. Nicaise Nsabimana, a Burundian peacekeeper in his early 30’s.

 

The bullet had penetrated through the poor girl’s biceps leaving a big cut only to travel subcutaneously through her flesh before sticking near her neck.

 

Fatuma is one of many victims of Somalia’s bloody war that has killed tens of people and uprooted millions more from their homes since 1991 when the country plunged into anarchy after clan militias ousted the late President Mohamed Siad Barre.

 

ILL EQUIPED SURGICAL THEATRE

The AMISOM surgical theatre where Fatuma was operated is a simple green tent that lacks almost every other basic equipment expected in modern theatre. Surgical operations are done on a small bed with no oxygen available and no proper lighting.

 

The Burundian doctor had to flip one side of the tent in order to get natural light to get a clear sight of the bullet injury. It was really hot and everyone was sweating as it was around 2pm when the scorching sun is at its hottest moment in the seaside city of Mogadishu.

 

Not even the short supply of disinfectants, medicines and other necessities could halt the determined resolve by AMISOM doctors in their much needed life-saving work in Somalia, a country where all social amenities including hospitals are either malfunctioning or simply rundown due to a long overdue conflict that has gone too far.

 

Three male nurses, also peacekeepers from Burundi, were helping with the surgery. One of the three was busy counselling and undressing the girl as two others prepared gauzes, antiseptics, operating knife and other essential equipment to be used by the surgeon.

 

The surgical procedure lasted close to an hour. The surgeon had to cut the flesh around where the bullet had lodged virtually splitting part of her neck open to remove the tiny metallic bullet that has made Somalia one of the most dangerous places on earth.

 

Little Fatuma kept crying from the excruciating pain of the sharp operating razor slitting her skin. The anaesthetic jab she had been given to soothe her pain was not sufficient forcing the anaesthetist to give her another jab which sent her into a deep slumber.

 

After several minutes of flesh splitting and cutting, the top head of the bullet finally appeared.

 

“The operation was a success. It’s an AK 47 bullet which is the most common weapon used by fighters in Somalia. As you can see she is very lucky because the bullet did not damage any tissues or cause internal haemorrhage. We will admit her and observe her for 5 days. The wounds have to be cleaned daily to avoid any infection,” Dr. Nicaise Nsabimana who carried out the surgery said holding the blood-stained shiny bullet.

 

The African Union peacekeepers from Burundi and Uganda offer free treatment to at least 800 Somalis every day in several similar clinics located at their expanding bases in Mogadishu. Civilians who seek medical aid from AMISOM are mostly the poorest of the traumatised Somali people. The peacekeepers also provide free clean drinking water to residents of Mogadishu living around nearly 20 AMISOM bases dotted across the bullet-strewn capital city of Somalia.

 

“Two years ago AMISOM saved my life after I contracted a bacterial infection that nearly made me loose my left breast. Today they have saved my daughter. The peacekeepers are really helping needy people like us. If I had taken my daughter to any other hospital I would have been forced to pay a lot of money. They offer free treatment, surgical operations, beddings for the inpatients on top of which they even give the patients free food. Where can you get such benevolence?” Hawa, the 44 year old mother of 5 children asked.  

 

Two hours later, Fatuma awoke from her deep slumber and had regained strength to speak.

 

“My neck is still numb. The pain has disappeared now and I no longer have any fears. I thought I would die. This is my first time to be hit by a bullet. It’s not a very good experience to be shot. It is very painful and really scary,” she said lying in bed with two heavy bandages firmly strapped on her back and neck, where the bullet had hit her and where it had been removed from.