Between Bullets and Handshakes: The People Behind Somalia’s Struggle for Peace

Introduction: A Nation Caught Between Two Realities

In the heart of Somalia, two very different stories unfolded in the same week. One took place in a small rural town shaken by the thunder of gunfire and fear. The other happened in a grand meeting hall, where handshakes and hopeful promises echoed between leaders.

This is the duality that defines Somalia today: a people seeking safety and dignity, while their leaders fight battles on diplomatic and security fronts. The challenges are immense, but so is the resilience of those caught in between.

Moqokori: When Silence Means Fear Returned

In the rural town of Moqokori, the morning of July 7, broke not with prayer or children’s laughter, but with gunshots. Armed militants stormed into the town, and before long, government soldiers had vanished from the streets. What remained was the heavy silence of fear—familiar to many, but no less painful each time it returns.

Families fled their homes. Others hid indoors, afraid to be seen. Shopkeepers locked up. Schools emptied. A young boy ran barefoot across a dirt road, calling for his mother who had been separated in the chaos.

For the people of Moqokori, this wasn’t just a tactical defeat—it was a wound reopened. They had begun rebuilding, placing hope in the presence of national forces. But with their sudden retreat, that hope dissolved once again into uncertainty.

A woman, clutching her newborn child, whispered, “We thought the government was here to protect us. But now we are alone again.”

Mogadishu and Cairo: A Deal Signed in Confidence

While fear gripped Moqokori, a different kind of scene unfolded in Mogadishu and far north of the continent in Cairo. There, Somali leaders met with regional counterparts to strengthen ties, improve security cooperation, and envision a shared future marked by trade, stability, and diplomacy.

Agreements were made to reopen embassies, share intelligence, and build joint plans to combat extremism. There were smiles, cameras, and declarations of mutual respect.

For those watching in the capital, the agreement felt like a step forward—proof that Somalia was no longer isolated, that it was building partnerships to protect and prosper.

But for villagers hundreds of kilometres away, still haunted by the night’s invasion, the news felt distant—like a promise made in another world.

The Human Divide: Who Feels the Peace?

This contradiction—between policy progress and on-the-ground peril—defines the daily life of ordinary Somalis. For many, peace is not a document. It is the absence of gunfire. It is sleeping through the night without hiding. It is sending children to school without fear of indoctrination or violence.

There is pride in diplomacy. There is also pain when that diplomacy does not yet reach the villages and farms where people live and die. Somalia’s people do not expect miracles. But they deserve presence. Consistency. Courage.

A young man in Beledweyne put it simply: “It’s good that the world listens to us now. But what we need is for someone to stand with us when the bullets come.”

The Path Forward: Matching Words with Will

Somalia is not a lost cause. It is a country full of people who get up every day despite fear, displacement, and grief. Teachers keep schools open even under threat. Women grow gardens beside ruined buildings. Youth gather in circles at dusk to dream about music, business, or simply a better tomorrow.

To honour these people, the fight against extremism must go beyond military tactics. It must mean investment in protection. It must mean that a handshake abroad results in stability at home. It must mean that no town is too small to matter.

Conclusion: A Fragile Flame, Kept Alive by the People

Somalia is still burning—but not just with conflict. It burns with resilience, with silent courage, with the will of people who, against all odds, still believe in a better future.

They deserve more than to be forgotten behind headlines of diplomacy or casualty counts. They deserve a peace that is not just spoken—but lived.