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January 19, 2005

Elias email after EVAC

This an email from Elias after our EVAC from Mogadishu! The "strange AK-47" we possessed was our Sony PD 150 camera.

Dear Friends,
It seems you have become Moryans (militia) so soon. We missed your company so much last night that someone remarked thats why supper was eaten late as we mourned your absence!! We are glad to have had the opportunity of traveling the road with you folks. Life is one long journey with many roads........ours in Somalia are just but one kind of the many and I am sure that you have enjoyed yourselves and learnt something worthwhile about how it is to be on the road on this side of the world. It may on the surface look like just technicals and AKs and chaos ...etc but in all this the important thing is to know that there is precious life that needs to be saved. We must say that you were excellent guets and we would be glad to host you again. However, you missed some action immediately you left, it was explained to us why you guys were delayed at the door of the plane. The pilot on seeing your strange AK...reckoned you could outgun the combined firepower of all the technicals at the airport at the time. It took the well tested negotiating skills of our friend to get them to agree to take you on board even though he had your passports at hand. Out of curiousity, just tell me....what profession is indicated on your passports? After this we sent our guys to Bakaara market to check the prices of fishing equipments. While they were there, hell visited them. Some Moryans attacked a shop with the intention of robbing. The owners, of course well armed themselves, fired back. Our two guys, the driver and guards jumped into a shop and hid there.....meanwhile a shooting contest continued outside. After a short while, all was calm. Two people lay dead and many were injured
in the crossfire and as usual neither the shop owners nor the Moryans were hit. It was inocent people. Latter in the afternoon, we went to visit Ali in the hospital (he is much better but for the loss of blood). As we left the parking and made our way in the yard towards the entrance of Medina hospital, we saw a casualty being brought in. The hospital linen was soaking with blood as the hospital staff rushed him towards the theatre...just another victim of the gunmen of Mogadishu. Our driver...hastened his pace and informed us that the man had been injured by stray bullets from the Bakaara fighting that they had witnessed. At times we wonder at these stray bullets........they have no passion for the things that we love in this life. Looking at a loaded AK 47 magazine would hardly elicit any thought of the deadly and destructive power behind the dull and cold metal that kills so sharply in an instant. Of course a bullet or a gun can do nothing on its own. It only takes a crazy man with a little more might than wit......we have plenty of those around here. Stray men on the loose....watch out!!! There was more fighting in the afternoon and shooting continued into the night...so much so that when the noise of breaking glass shattered the silence of our sleep at 2:10am, we were on our feet with torches at the ready. We ventured out of the room with Douglas towards the other bedrooms to check on Ishku. We found him and he explained that it was only a rat that had been strugling to eat a papaya on a plate on the table in Ishkus bedroom breaking a glass in the process........ no laughing matter folks!! But I allow you to laugh anyhow...for reasons I will explain soon.

Greetings from Ishku and Douglas whose ribs are almost breaking with
laughter...the guy has so much stored in him. I gues it helps to laugh at things in Mogadishu. It is the harder thing to do but if you cried, you would soon die of despair. I therefore prescribe unto you, no matter what you have seen around here, a measure of laughter and a tiny tear. Seriously though, it is not a laughing matter...... get the truth about Somalia out there! Let those that can pray do so and those that would be touched to come do so. There is work to do out here and we do not do it because we are thaaaat brave.. true courage counting the cost and facing danger with a resoluteness that defies fear. And men of courage are needed. Whaterver God speaks to you do it!! We were privileged to have guys here.

My love to you brothers,
EK.

Posted by Admin at January 19, 2005 10:20 AM