Mogadishu has long stood as the embodiment of Somalia’s struggle with insecurity. For decades, the capital was synonymous with conflict, terrorism, and political instability. Today, however, the city reflects a more nuanced reality. Signs of progress are emerging, and efforts to restore public trust are gaining visibility.
The new African Union Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC), Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, has been at the forefront of this change. His choice to attend Friday prayers at the city’s largest mosque, standing alongside ordinary citizens, marked a departure from the distant approach of past international envoys. By doing so, he conveyed a message of confidence in the security of Mogadishu.
Ambassador Diene was accompanied by Somalia’s Minister of Defence, Ambassador Ahmad Moalim Fiqi, Deputy SRCC Ambassador Mouktar Osman Karie, and senior officers of the African Union Support to Somalia (AUSSOM). Their presence underscored a growing partnership between Somali authorities and international actors.
Following the prayers, Minister Fiqi hosted a luncheon in honor of Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, his deputy, and Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi. The gathering highlighted both political will and personal commitment to consolidating gains in security.
For a city once defined by fear and instability, the symbolism of crowded mosques, heavy traffic, and official events taking place in the open carries weight. Mogadishu is not yet free from threat, but the atmosphere is shifting. The actions of Somalia’s leadership, together with regional partners, reflect a capital striving to reclaim normalcy and redefine its place in the country’s future.
Diplomats in fragile states often limit their exposure to the public. They remain behind fortified walls, moving only under heavy protection, and their interactions with locals are rare and tightly choreographed. Ambassador Diene broke that mould. By attending prayers in a crowded mosque and engaging directly with worshippers, he showed confidence in Mogadishu’s improving stability. His gesture carried weight beyond symbolism. It demonstrated that diplomats and international representatives do not need to fear daily interaction with citizens. It also offered proof that Somalia’s capital is no longer the city of constant dread it once was. The heavy traffic on Mogadishu’s main streets reflected the improving security and the return of normal daily life for the city’s residents. Somalia is moving forward, and its security environment is changing.
Over the past two years, Somali security forces, supported by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), have made notable advances. Al-Shabaab, once able to stage large attacks at will inside Mogadishu, faces greater restrictions. Security checkpoints, intelligence operations, and joint patrols have tightened the capital’s defences. While attacks still occur, their scale and frequency have declined compared to earlier years. Businesses have reopened in neighbourhoods once considered too dangerous. Cafés and restaurants stay busy into the evening. Streets are more alive with commerce and movement.
None of this is to deny the risks. Somalia’s enemies remain determined, and the threat has not disappeared. Yet progress should not be dismissed. A functioning city center, improved mobility, and the confidence of both locals and visitors are tangible indicators of change. The joint presence of Ambassador Diene and Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi the mosque offered a public endorsement of this reality. It also symbolised cooperation between Somalia’s leadership and its international partners in projecting confidence in the capital’s security.
Their actions also highlighted a gap. Too many diplomats, aid workers, and international officials in Mogadishu operate at a distance from the people they are meant to support. They live in guarded compounds, interact mostly with politicians, and rarely step into public spaces. This fuels a perception among ordinary Somalis that foreign missions are detached from their daily struggles. By contrast, Diene’s presence in the mosque, alongside Minister Ahmed Fiqi, reminded citizens that their voices matter and that both domestic and international partners respect and acknowledge them. It also showed the wider world that Mogadishu is not the inaccessible danger zone many still imagine.
If more diplomats followed this example, the relationship between the Somali public and the international community would improve. Trust grows from contact. Dialogue strengthens legitimacy. Showing up in public, listening to ordinary citizens, and sharing their spaces are all ways to reinforce a sense of common purpose.
The Somali government must now capitalize on these security gains. Security forces have proven capable of holding ground, but sustaining progress requires stronger institutions. Police reform, judicial accountability, and improved coordination between national and local authorities remain essential. Corruption and clan-based rivalries continue to undermine stability. Addressing these challenges is as critical as defeating armed groups on the battlefield.
At the same time, the African Union and the United Nations must adapt their posture. AUSSOM is scheduled to draw down, transferring greater responsibility to Somali forces. This transition makes visible gestures of solidarity, such as the mosque visit by Diene and Minister Fiqi, even more important. They show that international partners trust Somalia’s capacity to secure its own capital. They also encourage Somali citizens to view security as a shared achievement, not something imposed from outside.
For too long, Somalia’s international image has been locked in stereotypes of violence and chaos. Images of Mogadishu from the 1990s and 2000s still dominate global media coverage. This narrative does not reflect the resilience and determination of Somalis who rebuild their lives daily under difficult conditions. Nor does it reflect the progress of recent years. Events like the joint public engagement of Ambassador Diene and Minister Fiqi should be amplified. They challenge outdated perceptions and remind the world that Somalia is not frozen in conflict, but moving gradually toward stability.
Changing perceptions matters for more than pride. Foreign investment, trade partnerships, and diplomatic recognition all depend on confidence. A Somalia seen as irredeemably insecure will struggle to attract the resources it needs. A Somalia seen as improving, against the odds, will earn broader support. Mogadishu’s security gains should therefore be recognized not only by those who live them, but also by those who write about Somalia abroad.
The lesson is clear. Security improvements must be reinforced by visibility. When leaders, both Somali and international, engage publicly and without fear, they strengthen the perception of safety. This in turn encourages normal life to expand. Citizens venture out more, businesses grow, and civic spaces revive. The spiral moves upward. The example set by Ambassador Diene and Minister Ahmed Fiqi should become the norm, not the exception.
Somalia’s path remains fragile. Dangers persist, and setbacks are possible. Yet the progress made deserves acknowledgment. Mogadishu is safer than it was, and its people are eager to reclaim their city from the shadow of violence. Diplomatic engagement at the grassroots level can accelerate this process. By standing with citizens in public spaces, international representatives and Somali leaders together can affirm the country’s achievements and push for further progress.
