The Story from APM - Messages from [Little] Mogadishu

Looking Back to Somalia

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:00:00

Looking back to Somalia

Abdi Iftin tells of his mother and sister’s situation in Somalia as they try to survive the famine and fighting. People are moving back to the capital city, Mogadishu, despite the conflict there, because it is the only place they have hope of getting food. Abdi recalls that in 1992, there was another drought and famine and his baby sister died.

A New Life in Kenya

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:00:00

A NEW LIFE IN KENYA

When we first began talking with a young Somali, Abdi, about life in Mogadishu, we agreed to never use his name - it would be too dangerous. Today, we re-introduce you to Abdi Iftin. A few weeks ago, Abdi decided Mogadishu had become to dangerous, even for him. With the help of friends he met through this program, and working closely with his brother Hassan in Nairobi, Abdi managed to get out of Somalia. Abdi and Hassan talk with Dick about how they managed it, and what life looks like now for two Somali refugees in Kenya.

Hear one of the songs Abdi's listening to in Nairobi

Leaving Mogadishu

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:00:00

Leaving Mogadishu

For the last two years, we've been telling the story of Mogadishu with the help of a young man there, Abdi. We've heard about his family splintering, the bullet holes in his roof and the bombs that explode on his way to school. Today, our news is that Abdi is leaving Mogadishu; the city has become just too dangerous for him. Dick talks with Cori Princell, the producer who has worked closely with Abdi, about this latest turn of events.

No Revolution

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:00:00

No Revolution

It’s still unknown just how far the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia will spread across the Arab world. There is however one country where the people remain trapped by warring factions. Abdi, our regular correspondent in Somalia, tells us how people there are reacting to news of Egypt's revolution, and he updates us on the violence in his neighborhood and at his university.

Surviving Mogadishu

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 04:00:00

SURVIVING MOGADISHU

Today, Dick talks with Abdi for the first time in an interview on The Story. For the past year and a half, we’ve been keeping up with news events in Mogadishu through regular messages from Abdi. Like many young people, he's willing to brave bomb explosions, shells and violence to stay in the city where he has work and connections. Abdi finds life in the camps outside the city too restrictive. But now that he's learned his girlfriend is leaving the country, Abdi has found himself questioning everything.

Avoiding the Recruiters

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:00:00

AVoiding the recruiters

Late last week the Justice department indicted fourteen people, some of them American citizens, on charges of funneling money to the Islamist terror group the Shabab in Somalia. The Shabab is battling government forces for the control of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. And that has a huge impact on the lives of everyone living there, including that of our correspondent Abdi.

A Loss in the Family

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:00:00

A loss in the family

Since we last heard from Abdi, the situation has only gotten worse. He's had run-ins with both soldiers and the Islamists, and some of his family members have been sick with malaria.

A Visit to the Camp

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:17:01

A visit to the camp

More than 8,000 people have fled Mogadishu in the past couple of weeks. They’re fleeing increasingly intense fighting between the shaky government of Somalia and a coalition of Islamist groups. Mogadishu is the home for a young schoolteacher called Abdi. Abdi says when people leave the city of Mogadishu, they go to massive refugee camps. Abdi goes there often to visit. It’s where his mother and his girlfriend live.

An Explosion and a Protest

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:00:00

An explosion and a protest

When a suicide bomber killed more than 20 people at a graduation ceremony last week, Abdi raced to the scene to check on two of his students who were there. Abdi talks about what he saw, and how amazed he was by the students' response: for the first time ever in Mogadishu, people took to the streets in protest against the brutal militant group fighting for control of Somalia.

Meeting Abdi

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:00

Meeting Abdi

Paul Salopek

Somalia usually makes the news for stories about piracy. But people who live there face increasingly dismal and dangerous conditions that get less coverage in the media. Somalia has been without a functioning government for 18 years.

The journalist Paul Salopek has been to the capitol Mogadishu a number of times since 2002, most recently about a year ago. He tells Dick Gordon about the changes he's seen. He also introduces us to a young Somali who we hope will become a regular presence on The Story. Abdi is a schoolteacher who loves Hollywood cinema and used to be known to his friends as The American. Not so any longer - recently, Abdi received a threatening call telling him to drop that "wicked" nickname. That's just one example of the violent hold Islamist groups now have on the residents of Mogadishu. Abdi's first essay airs today.

Read an article Paul wrote about his friendship with Abdi
See slide shows and articles from Paul's reporting in Somalia here