While hundreds of residents flee Somali capital, it is clear now that Talibans are taking over in Somalia. It's kind of sad to think that Somalia will turn into one of those islamic fascist states. Good luck to talibans to impose to Somali to grow their beards, anyway. Not that I think it's nobody's business but of Somali people.

When I was a kid (from ten years old, for years I used to periodically spend months in Somalia), I walked the streets of Mogadishu many times, by myself or with my brother and sister, even at night, maybe to go to buy sambusi (a tasty variation of indian's samosa) at a shop near the Arabian neighborhood, or with my family to the Casa d'Italia, or to watch a movie at the French consulate.
Mogadishu was a reasonably peaceful and tolerant city back in the eighties, even if evidently split among rich people and awfully poor people. Somali people was the most welcoming, and among the most generous and united people you could happen to deal with, although their lack of organization in public affairs was legendary. Corruption was everywhere, not only because Italians had brought it, and Siad Barre, the president/dictator of Somalia, was in charge thanks to it.

We used to take the toyotas to move around in the city back then, white pick-up trucks used as collective taxis, with the back load area covered by white or blue or green sheets tied to a metal arched frame colorfully cut-worked, and usually filled with people beyond any imagination. Once aboard the toyota, I would usually watch the young boy, approximately my age, hanging outside the back of the truck to make sure everyone was safe aboard, then banging his fist against the side of the truck to signal the driver to pull away. Now (as in picture above) the same vehicles are used to bring soldiers around in the city. Last year my father worked in Somalia, 1990, we had to go around escorted and only by car, and it was - righlty or wrongly - clearly the end of an era.