I was very young when I first stepped into the struggle for peace in my city. With little more than determination, I volunteered with the Islamic Courts Union alongside my friends, driven by the dream of bringing security back to Mogadishu. We were only boys then, waiting for the chance to join the regular army after the war ended, believing that our sacrifices would one day make Somalia better again.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 27, 2009, that dream was baptized in fire. Just after the Asr prayer, Al-Shabaab militants stormed the station where we stood. In a single moment, the air filled with smoke, bullets, and screams. I lost friends who had been like brothers to me — among them Nuur Adan Dalabaco and Saciid Roble Geelhore — while I, along with many others, was badly wounded. That day carved a deep scar in my heart and marked the bitter split between the heroes of the Islamic Courts and the extremists who turned their guns against the Somali people.
Sixteen years have passed since that bloody afternoon. Last night, I returned to that same place. But this time, it was not war that brought me back — it was democracy. By the mercy of Allah, I went there to register as a voter. The very ground once stained by blood is now a place where Somali men and women line up without fear, where laughter drowns out gunfire, and where the youth — once born into war — now walk proudly in their finest clothes to secure their future with a voter’s card.
When that card was placed in my hands, I understood its meaning: it is not simply a slip of paper. It is a symbol of survival. It is proof that the struggle was not in vain, that Mogadishu has transformed into a city where ballots, not bullets, carry the power of change. For me, this is the ultimate fruit of our sacrifice — a badge of honor and a tribute to the martyrs who never lived to see this day.
As Banadir Regional Police Commissioner, this moment gives me strength and purpose. It fuels my determination to ensure Mogadishu’s first direct elections in 56 years are safe, fair, and free. My journey — from a wounded teenager on the battlefield against extremists to a survivor leading my people toward the ballot box — is a reminder to Somali youth everywhere: no matter how dark the past, your courage, resilience, and commitment can shape the future of our nation.
---- The opinion expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dawan Africa
