Tale of perilous journey from Diinsoor to Mogadishu

Mohamed Adan Issack, father of three, an internally displaced man from Diinsoor tells the story of how he and a group of 170 families started trekking a distance of 270 km through areas controlled by the insurgents to Mogadishu:
“We flocked here because we experienced lots of problems in Diinsoor. We were faced with hunger, thirst and malnutrition. Some of the people had animals but they are no more. All of their animals have died as the animals had nothing to feed on. On the other hand, the shebab stood the way of the people who would have received aid from the humanitarian aid agencies long ago.
We fled to Mogadishu because we assumed we can get help and assistance from the aid agencies and other Muslim well-wishers and the ordinary people. We managed to flee from Diinsoor while we were almost 170 families, but only 70 families were able to reach Mogadishu. The remaining 100 families were turned back by shebab to KM 50 while others are being held in Afgoye and they are about 90 families. Those who managed to escape like us had left everything we had. When we reached km 4 is the time we started to have peace of mind but formerly we were perturbed. In our long journey from Diinsoor, we encountered many perils and problems. We were occasionally stopped by Shebab and we had to run from our children and wives. Sometimes, if the shebab find someone resting or eating under a tree, they will whip them and turn them back.
We had to lie to the shebab and tell them that we were headed to Baidoa to harvest our farms instead of Mogadishu for fear of turning us back.
When we come to Baidoa, we again had to forge another lie. We told them that we are going to Dhoobley to look for our daily bread. When we arrived at Afgoye, the Shebab tired to make us go back and take us to KM 50 but we repeated the same lies and we finally managed to reach Mogadishu. We footed from Afgoye to Mogadishu.
The shebab told us not to go to the Mogadishu and that they will receive the necessary aid there but we could not trust them as we had already experienced problems under their control. They will detain women whom they find wearing loose clothes. Children are taken into their custody and trained to fight. We know how they behave and we never wanted to remain under their control even in a second but we have to endure until we found an exit. Three of my children have been held in Afgoye by the Shebab. I am now not at ease as my children are away. I could not go back. I find peace here. It is strange to find here a group of people sitting peacefully while such things were uncommon in the areas we fled from.
It is also pity to see that some people hide in the Lorries that we are carrying animals and charcoal to find their way into Mogadishu. How can we be in fear of moving about in our own country? I find it strange”.
After finishing his story, Mohamed scans the area flooded with people, sighs and walks away. Tweet