Monday, April 26, 2021

April 19th, 2021 Mogadishu airport, Somalia


6AM We left for the airport. We waited until 7AM or so before boarding for Somalia.


Mogadishu Airport

9:45AM We arrived at Mogadishu. The immigration agent would not let me pass without an invitation letter. Hotel Jawhara would not provide one that states that they would be fully responsibility for my safety. I agreed to have API Hotel come try. They wanted 175 USD a day and they would not take me anywhere out of airport complex. I disagreed after I got out. We walked back and they took back the letter of invitation. The visa was cancelled. I waited for a while and finally what I expected came, they were just going to hold me until my flight tomorrow.

12PM I am held at the airport police station until tomorrow. How was I supposed to know that I needed an invitation letter when it was not on any of the official website? I spent the entire day in their office and outside. They took away my cell phone so I couldn't make any contact with outside.

At least I had my computer with me.

Airport police station office


5PM I pled several times and even tried to sneak to the airport entrance before being caught 20 yards away from it by the captain.

6:30PM I had some Ramadan dinner with the police station staff. They drove me to the airport beach and the captain introduced me to several people who worked for the UN on the airport base. They tried to plead with the captain but he expectantly refused again.

Ramadan dinner

10PM Captain let me sleep in the conference room. The room is set at 16 degrees Celsius and freezing overnight.

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