But once the cold war ended, the money dried up. What followed made many donor nations wary of getting involved in Somalia again. Rebuild A decade of fighting has left Mogadishu in ruins. Gangs steal power lines, telephone cables and streetlights. Like vultures picking at the bones of a dead animal, men have dug up the pipelines at the old oil refinery, carrying them away to sell.
People survive on money sent by relatives abroad.
The destruction is not only physical. The whole concept of a state has been distorted. At the airport, militiamen charge landing fees and sell exit visas. Mohamed plucks a rusty M-16 assault rifle from the open safe. This is my protection.