Somalia: Peace Garden in Mogadishu

There is one spot in central Mogadishu where people come to relax – Peace Garden. It’s an oasis of green with cafes and children’s playground that you actually have to pay to get in. It’s well protected with road blocks and cement barriers and, as the sign at the entrance states – no machine guns, no grenades, no pistols, and no knifes are allowed. Additionally, you can’t chew kat here either, as well as smoke cigarettes or shisha.z Mostly young people (many college graduates taking selfies) hang around the park, relaxing and drinking Somali tea before venturing back into the failed state jungle. It felt a little surreal, truly like an oasis in a desert.