Getting Pulled Over By Police In Mogadishu, Somalia 🇸🇴
The Experience
There's no intro to this; it's just straight in.
Here is the story of how we got pulled over in Somalia twice within 30 minutes.
Well, living in the West has made me realize the privilege people of Caucasian Ethnicity have. In Somalia, it was quite the opposite; if you are white or deemed to be an important official of the United Nations, you are very likely to be pulled over or talked to by the police. Additionally, other parts of the world have this; it isn’t just in Somalia.
The 1st time:
Originally, we were heading off from the fish market to the lighthouse when we heard sirens go off. As I am sitting on the passenger side (for safety reasons), I check the window to see the army pulling us over. I was instructed not to get out of the car at any cost, no matter what. The guide was outside, as were my two security escorts and the driver. Supposedly, the army claimed that my guide's license was fake, even if he had been operating for 15 years. After 20 minutes of back and forth, we got away with a bribe, and it was all fine.
The 2nd time:
This was a bit scarier, and we weren’t exactly pulled over. The Commander of The Somalia Army tracked us down as we were getting into our vehicle and asked to speak to me. It was everything you see in the movies, including sunglasses and AK47s, and one of them even had a bandana. After reading some previous experiences, I’m not gonna lie; my heart skipped a beat for a minute. Then, the commander took the guide away, and I was left with one of my security escorts and 3 members of the army.
Somehow we got on to the topic of football because there were kids playing, and I found out that one of the army members was a Messi fan (boo😅).
Eventually, my guide came back and explained that they wanted us to go down to the station for further talks (hell no😅), but we somehow got away with paying a hefty bribe, or as my guide liked to call it, "lunch money".
All that to say, it might have been a little frightening at the moment, but it wasn’t really that bad afterward. Somalia is a beautiful place with beautiful people, but I’ll be honest to say this corruption has to stop😂. It’s also no worse corruption-wise than Nigeria. going to the toilet? 500 Naira for the person showing you the way.
Disclaimer:
Going to Somalia has risks involved. If you are white, you are targeted for money as there isn't a stable government, sorry to say. AK47s roam the streets, and army officers are ready to make sure that you give them money for lunch (I'm sorry, just speaking the truth). There was a period of time when I was fearful due to what I had read in the media, but it all worked out.
Final Thoughts
Look, as I will mention time and time again, Mogadishu isn't the place to take family members on vacation by any means. There is extreme corruption in the country, with a government that is rebuilding. I really enjoyed my time in Somalia, but I have to share what I experienced, both good and bad.
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