Somalia's Slow March toward Normalcy - Voa on assignment nov. 1

NOW TO SOMALIA, WHERE U.N. OFFICIALS SAY THE ISLAMIST MILITANT GROUP AL-SHABAB STILL POSES A THREAT TO PEACE-BUILDING EFFORTS. THE AL-QAIDA-LINKED GROUP IS NOT AS STRONG AS IT WAS BEFORE IT WAS PUSHED OUT OF MAJOR CITIES, BUT THE MILITANTS STILL CONTROL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. VOA EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT GABE JOSELOW RECENTLY RETURNED FROM SOMALIA AND TALKED WITH ON ASSIGNMENT'S PHILIP ALEXIOU ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE CAPITAL, MOGADISHU. LET'S TAKE A LOOK. THE SECURITY SITUATION HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT WORSE. THERE HAVE BEEN TARGETED ATTACKS AGAINST MAJOR UNITED NATIONS OFFICES, AGAINST WESTERN TARGETS, AGAINST THE TURKISH PRESENCE THERE. SO, IT'S MUCH MORE ON EDGE NOW AND A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERN IN THE CITY. AL-SHABAB STILL CONTROLS LARGE AREAS OF THE SOMALI COUNTRYSIDE . SO DO THEY HAVE ENOUGH FORCES FROM THE AFRICAN UNION MISSION TO GET THIS JOB DONE? HAS THERE BEEN ANY TALK ABOUT MAYBE BOOSTING THE FORCES A LITTLE BIT MORE SINCE AL-SHABAB HAS BEEN SUCH A PROBLEM RECENTLY? YES, I THINK RIGHT NOW THE AU FORCES THAT ARE IN SOMALIA ARE A BIT OVERSTRETCHED BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN TAKING TOWN AFTER TOWN AFTER TOWN THAT WAS CONTROLLED BY AL-SHABAB. BUT NOW THE PROBLEM IS TRYING TO MAINTAIN A PRESENCE IN THOSE AREAS, SO YES, THE SOMALI GOVERNMENT, THE UN ARE ALL REQUESTING AN INCREASE IN TROOP NUMBERS. THEY NEED A FEW THOUSAND MORE TO TRY TO TAKE OVER SOME OF THE TOWNS THAT ARE STILL UNDER AL-SHABAB'S CONTROL WHICH INCLUDES THE TOWN OF BARAWE, WHICH IS SOUTH OF MOGADISHU. THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE US SPECIAL FORCES CONDUCTED AN OPERATION TRYING TO CATCH A SENIOR COMMANDER. AND MOGADISHU BEING ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD, I GUESS SOME STREET LIGHTS, I GUESS SOME ROADS, THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP BUILDINGS, AND I GUESS KIDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL, IS THAT RIGHT? YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION. LIKE YOU SAID, STREET LIGHTS ARE GOING UP IN THE CAPITAL, ROADS ARE IMPROVING SLIGHTLY BUT REALLY THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY OF THE PLACE IS STILL SO MINIMAL THAT THESE EFFORTS ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF THE NEEDS IN THE CITY. ANY PROGRESS IS GOOD PROGRESS AND YOU ARE SEEING A LOT OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT WHICH IS GOING A LONG WAY, MORE SO THAN THOSE SORT OF PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, INVESTMENT PUBLIC WORKS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE THERE. AND HOW IS THE PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT HASSAN SHEIK MOHAMMAD VIEWED BY THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW? THE MAIN CRITICISM THAT YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE ON THE STREETS FROM LOCALS MOSTLY IS THAT HE SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME ABROAD, RAISING MONEY, TRYING TO FIND PARTNERS FOR SOMALIA AND ISN'T REALLY DOING ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE POLITICAL SITUATION AT HOME. HE ALSO FACES A LOT OF RESISTANCE FROM SOME OF THE REGIONAL LEADERS BECAUSE PLACES LIKE JUBALAND IN THE SOUTH, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND IN THE NORTH ARE SETTING UP THEIR OWN STATES AND THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW THESE STATES WILL FUNCTION WITHIN A BROADER FEDERAL SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INTERESTING STORY, THE ARTIST STORY THAT YOU DID FOCUSING ON ADAN FARAH AFFEY, IF I'M SAYING THAT PROPERLY. BUT A HE'S NOW ABLE I GUESS AFTER DECADES OR AT LEAST AFTER A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS BEEN ABLE TO NOW SHOWCASE HIS ARTWORK. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT STORY AND ABOUT HIM. YEAH, AFFEY'S AN INTERESTING GUY. HE GREW UP IN MOGADISHU. HE WAS RAISED IN A CATHOLIC ORPHANAGE WHICH IS WHERE HE DISCOVERED HIS TALENT AS A PAINTER. HE WAS ENCOURAGED EARLY ON. BUT THEN AS THE WAR BROKE OUT HE REALLY HAD TO TAKE HIS WORK UNDERGROUND. SOMALIA DURING THAT TIME WAS JUST BASICALLY TOO DANGEROUS TO TRY TO EXPRESS AN OPINION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. NOW, GIVEN A CHANCE TO EXPRESS HIMSELF THERE IS NO TOPIC AFFEY IS AFRAID OF. THIS PAINTING SHOWS THE TERROR WROUGHT BY THE ISLAMIST MILITANT GROUP AL-SHABAB, REPRESENTED AS A SERPENTINE BEARD BURNED INTO THE CANVAS. SO NOW HIS WORK IS SORT OF BEING RE-DISCOVERED. THERE'S A GROUP THERE CALLED THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND DIALOGUE WHICH IS PROMOTING A LOT OF SOMALI ARTISTS INCLUDING AFFEY. AND HIS WORK IS, IT'S IT'S AMAZING. IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY POLITICAL, IT'S VERY TOPICAL, IT'S ALSO VERY FUNNY. YES, I GUESS AS AFFEY SAID, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY NATURAL DISASTERS. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY TORNADOES OR TSUNAMIS, JUST ALL OF THEIR PROBLEMS I GUESS HAVE REALLY BEEN POLITICAL AS HE SAID. EXACTLY, EXACTLY. I REALLY LOVED THAT LINE FROM HIM. YES. AND THE ART WORK REFLECTS THAT TOO. PICTURES OF POLITICIANS AND A LOT WAR AND YOU KNOW PEOPLE FINALLY GETTING A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT IT. AND FINALLY I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK YOU THIS AND I KNOW I THINK I ASKED YOU THIS BEFORE THE LAST TIME. BUT, YOUR FEELINGS BEING IN A COUNTRY LIKE THAT WHEN IT IS SUCH A DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE? WELL, THAT'S THE THING. YOU TAKE A LOT OF SECURITY PRECAUTIONS WHEN YOU GO. WHEN I TRAVEL THERE, IF I GO OUT ON THE STREET TO REPORT I USUALLY HAVE A SECURITY TEAM WITH ME WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, 10 OR 12 GUYS WHO ARE ARMED WHO WILL FOLLOW YOU AROUND AND IF YOU GO OUT ON THE STREET TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE THEY'LL SET UP KIND OF A RING AROUND YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GET ATTACKED. YOU DON'T STAY VERY LONG IN MANY PLACES...OF COURSE THAT ALSO CHANGES THE WAY PEOPLE PERCEIVE YOU. SO, IT'S NOT THE EASIEST PLACE TO WORK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU HAVE ARMED GUYS AROUND YOU. AND AGAIN GABE JOSELOW IS VOA'S EAST AFRICA CORRESPONDENT AND HE HAS, OF COURSE, MADE A NUMBER OF REPORTING TRIPS TO SOMALIA.