Somali authorities have spent years working to restore the national stadium in Mogadishu, and on Dec. 29 Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre inaugurated the national soccer tournament. Now, the air crackles with anticipation as thousands pour into the stadium each afternoon. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesBut many Somalis are willing to brave the stadium, which has a heavy security presence. Most recently, between 2012 and 2018, the stadium was a base for African Union peacekeepers. “When this stadium was used as a military camp, it was a source of agony and pain.

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Persons: Hamza Abdi Barre, Siad Barre, ”, Mohamud Abdirahim, Khadro Ali, “, Ali Abdi Mohamed, Mohamed Barre Organizations: soccer, East, Hirshabelle, Ethiopian, African Union, Somali Football Federation Locations: MOGADISHU, Somalia, Mogadishu, East Africa, Shabab, Jubbaland, South West, Puntland, Somaliland, al