Mogadishu - Somalia

Africa-Somalia-Mogadishu  A postcard from Somalia is as rare as hens teeth as we would say in Ireland. Here is the old Italian lighthouse in the city harbour. Just beside here is the beach. You can see the same type of photo on the earlier photos I took when here. I had always wanted to visit Somalia since I had not managed to gain entry in 2011.  So I was delighted to be able to find www.visitmogadishu.com  . At first I wondered was there really a tourist company in Somalia ? Well as it turned out there sure was. They looked after me very well . It was great learning about life in Mogadishu . I was able to see all the city . 

This is the first time most will have seen the new postmark at the GPO in Mogadishu. I was so pleased to be able to visit the Post office itself. While there I was able to cancel my postcards with the assistant of the Post office . They even had some stamps available from stock . As you already know there is just incoming mail and no outgoing mail at present. But that is soon to change according to the Director general of the Post and Telecommunications in Somalia. 

Post Office - Mogadishu Somalia

It was a big hope for me to visit the Post office in Mogadishu. In fact I did better then that and also had a meeting with the Director General of the Ministary of Post and Telecommunications .

Here is the Director General of the Post after our meeting in Mogadishu. 

There is no out going mail at present , just incoming with an arrangement with Emirates Post. The mail arrives twice a week .  If they put a mobile number on the package or letter the Post office will call you and you can collect. 

Here is the breaking news -

The DG Ahmed Haji Abdi, has just come back from a meeting with Djibouti Government. As a result of this Somalia will launch outgoing mail in early 2017, so a full functioning Post Office. All outgoing mail will go via Djibouti. New Stamps are being planned at this time for release .  I am now in personal contact with the DG and will have more up to date news . I will publish it here. 

That outside of the Post office known still as the GPO. This is the original Post office from the 1970 and has been somewhat restored. 

The entrance to the Post Office. The only function at the present is to collect mail. You must pass a security check. 

The inside of the GPO now restored and getting ready for business in early 2017. 

Here I am with the Deputy of the Postal section. 

I was delighted to find that Somalia still has issues available. I had asked had they any stamps and was surprised and delighted find yes they did. These stamps were from the "Philatelic ".  

Here I am with a Postcard I brought with me and some of the stamps that the Post office has. These are now new issues but from their stock.  As you can see there is in fact a new postmark. 

Post office boxes that will be back in use. 

Incoming mail from Emirates Post. This is the mail they have that they can't find the person. A phone number is needed on the address or else it can't be delivered. Amazing one of those sacks is full of mail was due to go to Solomon Islands. But it ends up in Somalia instead. So now Solomon Post. Now you know where all your missing mail is !!!

This is me outside the main building. 

Here is the new cancellation. First time to be seen.  Somalia Post to open 3 post offices in early 2017. Staff just back from training in Djibouti. New stamps will be released. 

Mogadishu - Somalia

I have a surprise trip here on the way to India. I have previously been to Somalialand . In 2011. , I visited Mogadishu but at that time the Country only had control over the airport and surrounding streets so it was not possible to enter the city as a tourist.

Now I am here and spend 3 days. It was great to see the city and I felt secure with the security I had. 

Somalia and Somaliland

Africa-Somalia-Mogadishu  Not the most exciting of cards , but I had to buy this card in advance. My trip to Somalia was very interesting , at least even trying to get there. While in Djibouti , I had arranged to visit the Somalia Embassy . I met the second in command .  The building itself was not in the best shape and inside it could have done with a good clean. There were a few Somalis there , getting some paperwork. I stood out as not being African. So I was shown into a office . After the pleasantries, the officer was shocked to find out I wanted to visit Mogadishu as a tourist .!! He explained that I could not be minded as the government at that time had only control over the airport.  I had known that and wanted to stay in a hotel outside the airport building but still in government hands. It was out of the question.  It was agreed that I could visit the airport , but not stay and continue on to Hargesia in Somaliland. 

So on the plane journey from Djibouti city I met a Somali who used to work for Somali Airlines and did all the his training in Dublin. In fact in his case he took out a photo with a Aer Lingus Plane and his colleagues. He even knew where I lived. Amazing how small the world was . He said I could stay with him, but I explained it was not possible as I had no visa to leave the airport . When the plane touched down the african union peacekeepers arrived in tanks to make sure the airport was not shelled while the planes were on the ground. Two planes arrange to arrive at the same time while security is in place . The head of security came over to meet me off the plane and said I could only stay near the plane and could not even enter the airport building as it may not be safe and I could be kidnapped. It was all unreal. So I spend over 1 hour on the tarmac with security taking photos and chatting about life in Mogadishu. 

Somalia had no operating Postal service while I was there. In fact it has just started incoming mail in the last 6 months. I have been in touch with the officials in the Post office in Mogadishu and they plan to start a outgoing Postal Service before December 2014. So they will issue new stamps.  These stamps I had purchased from a dealer and are genuine Somalia stamps from the last time that country issued stamps. While waiting for my plane to reload , I asked to used the rest rooms in the Airport. So I was able to go into the building . Near the toilets there was a office of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority . I went in and there I could see a rubber stamp , like you see here. So I stamped the postcard . So I know it is not official but the best I could do at the time. For my collection all my mail must have gone through the postal system. When the Postal service starts again , I will revisit , now that I have a Government official who will facilitate this. 

Africa-Somaliland-Hargeisa  This is the Northern part of Somalia and the old British Somalia and it is safe to visit. I spend two great days here . Good hotels and just like Djibouti sand sand sand and dust everywhere. Down town the Somalis were very friendly and very chatty. You have to pay $10 per day to have a policeman with you if you go outside Hargesia which I did to get my flight back from Berbera which is on the coast. 

Just like Somalia there is no Postal service here. I did manage to visit the Old Post office and took many photos . While taking photos , I did get stopped by the army as they could not understand why anyone would want photos of a old Post office. In fact it was great, as in the offices you can see a list of services including Philatelic . Also a British postbox outside, quite amazing. I went to DHL to try and send my postcard out, but because of restrictions only packages and including my postcard can only be sent to Kenya . So the best I could do was to stamp my postcard in the DHL office in Hargeisa . The stamp is a "cinderella " meaning not issued officially. The last Somalialand stamps were issued long time ago. I do wonder that if the postal services gets going in Somalia will it extend to Somaliand ?