TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN SOMALIA

Mobility is a basic human need. From the times immemorial, everyone travels either for food or leisure. A closely associated need is the transport of raw materials to a manufacturing unit or finished goods for consumption. Transportation fulfills these basic needs of humanity and plays a major role in the development of the human civilization. For instance, one could easily observe the strong correlation between the evolution of human settlement and the proximity of transport facilities. Also, there is a strong correlation between the quality of transport facilities and standard of living, because of which society places a great expectation from transportation facilities. Transport in Somalia explains the transportation networks and modes of transport in the country. They are highways, airports, seaports and various forms of public and private vehicles, maritime and aerial transportation.  This article will examine the modes of Somalia’s transportation system.

Land Transport

Somalia has more than 21,000 kilometers of roads, of which about 2,600 kilometers were paved, 2,900 kilometers were gravel and the remained were improved earth. The country's principal highway was a 1,200-kilometer two-lane paved road that ran from kisimayu in the south through Mogadishu to Hargaysa in the north. Buses, trucks, and minibuses are the main means of transport for the population. In rural areas camels, cattle, and donkeys are still used for personal transportation and as pack animals.

Since there is no real functioning railroad system, most traveling within Somalia is done by bus or minibus few people can afford to travel by air and even less can afford a car, so going bus is the only option for many Somalis. Bus rides in Somalia can be very entertaining, lively, socially and good experience, but it can also be exhausting, frustrating and very crammed. Busses are sometimes quite old, and they encounter engine problems or breaks which can delay the trip for hours.in addition to, since the central government of Somali was destabilized in 1990, the country turned into state of anarchy and bloodshed which resulted most of the roads to be in bad condition due to lack of repair and authority protection, so even short trips can take a very long time.

Moreover, Somalia’s bigger cities and towns are now recovering from more than a quarter century civil war destruction. Many roads are being rebuilt and reopened. The movement of the people from place to place are becoming much easier than before.There are a very handful local car rental companies in some cities, but individually owned Minibuses are the most commonly used mode of public transportation. ‘The next most frequently used public vehicles in the cities like ‘Mogadishu’ the capital city of Somalia are auto rickshaws (Bajaj). They number around 3,000 units and come in various designs. The auto rickshaws represent a lower cost alternative to taxis and, typically charging half the price for the same distance, with flexible rates. Due to their affordability, capacity to negotiate narrow lanes and low fuel consumption, the three-wheeled vehicles are often appealing investment opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs. They are generally preferred for shorter commutes.

Air Transport

At independence, Somalia inherited a poorly developed air transport mode consisting of a handful of usable airstrips. During the next three decades, some improvement was made with the help of substantial foreign aid. By 1990 eight airports had paved runways, and regular domestic air service also was available. But During the years of war and devastation, virtually all of the Ministry of Transport’s infrastructure and technical capacity were destroyed. The Ministry took a hard hit in the areas of human capital, with many qualified experts forced to leave the country and the aviation school became non-operational for a long period of time. In the area of infrastructure the devastation was even greater. Most of the air traffic management infrastructure was destroyed as the result of the civil war.

Since then, with the help of the International Community, there have been huge efforts to rebuild the aviation infrastructure and to train a new cadre of aviation professionals. Major projects have been successfully undertaken to rebuild Aden Adde International Airport and other major regional airports. In December 2011, the Turkish government unveiled plans to further modernize the Aden Adde international airport as part of Turkey's broader engagement in the local post-conflict reconstruction process. Among the scheduled renovations were new systems and infrastructure, including a modern control tower to monitor the airspace. In most major airports the basic air traffic management infrastructure is now in place. As of January 2015, the largest airline services started using Aden Adde International Airport include the Somali-owned private carriers such as Jubba Airways, Daallo Airlines and African Express Airways. In addition to UN charter planes, Turkish Airlines, and Felix Airways (Al Saeeda Airlines). The airport also offers flights to other cities in Somalia, such as Galkayo, Berbera and Hargeisa, as well as to international destinations like Djibouti, Jeddah, and Istanbul. The state-owned Somali Airlines ceased operations in 1991 after the government collapse. “There have ongoing efforts to bring back the Somali Airlines” says Omar Somali minister of transport and civil aviation. On the other hand, Aden adde international airport has recently started a night time public transit officially after three decades.

Moreover, the ministry is now focusing on building human capacity in order to be able to regulate civil aviation in accordance with international standards and it has reopened aviation school with the help of Turkey agency called Tikka. At lastly the government is taking a keen interest in the expansion of civil aviation not only for its importance as a means of transport but also because of its strategic value.

Sea Transport


Possessing the longest coastline on mainland Africa, Somalia has a number of maritime transport facilities across the country. In total, there are over 15 seaports. Four ports handled almost all of Somalia's foreign trade. Berbera, Mogadishu, and Chisimayu are deep water ports protected by breakwaters. Merca, just south of Mogadishu, was a lighterage port that required ships to anchor offshore in open roadsteads while loading and unloading. Mogadishu is the principal port of entry for most general cargo. Berbera received general cargo for the northern part of the country and handled much of the nation's livestock exports. Increasing Demand for Somali Meat Export and Bilateral Trade Agreements with Countries Such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Kuwait, Iran, Qatar and Oman has increased the export of Livestock in the Mogadishu port as an exit destination of livestock trade from Somalia. In 2015, Somalia exported a record of 5 million livestock animals a 6% increase from the year 2014 due to the relative stability and investors confidence in the country. UK and EU have invested in the Somali livestock health.



To sum up,  following the above facts justifies the conclusion that the transport system of Somalia is making good progress. The government is providing all reasonable facilities for the development of the country’s transport. It is for the people to take advantage of the facilities offered and to step up the country’s progress in the way we desire.


Written by: Abdulkadir Hassan Ahmed          Edited by: Mohamud Shawul Abdirahman
E-mail:       Daada240@gmail.com                 E-mail: Mshawul114@gmail.com