Eastern Zone DCSA

Figure 15: Respondents’ perception of safety in the area (year on
year trend by locality)
Participants recounted a lot of varied personal narrations of
violence; however, they were in agreement that serious violent
conflicts, the control of the city by opposing forces, killing of
innocent people, and the soldiers who used to rob the civilians no
longer existed 17 .
Lack of full investigation of incidents and the tendency to blame
every crime and incident in the city on Al-Shabaab without
providing clear evidence and local militias who sometimes set-up
checkpoints at night with the aim of extorting vehicles and
commuters were security concerns raised by Traditional elders
18 ;
with one claiming that “men with government uniforms extorted
commuters at night” 19. According to the elders’ group discussion
participants the Government has [failed] to disarm clan militias.
Although the security situation has apparently improved, according
to the FGD participants some participants still considered
Mogadishu as a non-liveable city “If there is a safe place outside
Somalia that I could reach with my own feet I would not mind going
there so that I can have peace of mind, I am tired of this prolonged
and chronic fear” reported one women’s discussion participant 16.
16 Women Group, Focus Group Discussion, Eastern Zone, 3 March 2014
17 Business Group, Focus Group Discussion, Eastern Zone, 3 March 2014
18 Traditional Elders, Focus Group Discussion, Eastern Zone, 4 March 2014
19 Traditional Elders, Focus Group Discussion, Eastern Zone, 4 March 2014
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