Setting foot at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport should, for any Somali or international visitor, be a moment of pride ; a symbol of national resilience, recovery, and global reconnection. Instead, for ordinary travellers, it begins a grueling journey through a maze of suspicion, repeated screenings, and visible distrust that chips away at both dignity and self-esteem.
Checkpoints Before the Airport — The First Layer of Scrutiny
Before even reaching the airport gate, the journey is punctuated by a series of police checkpoints that resemble military barricades.
Access to the road leading to the airport is tightly controlled — only vehicles with proper documentation or those with government-issued identity are allowed through. While this is done in the name of security, the sight of heavily armed officers and the barking of orders create an atmosphere more akin to a war zone than an international terminal.
At each stop, drivers are interrogated, passengers’ IDs are scrutinized, and vehicles are inspected. The assumption is clear: everyone is guilty until proven innocent.
The Gate of Gatekeepers — Layers of Distrust
Once inside the airport perimeter, the real test begins. A traveller is met with a hybrid force: Somali Police and the A.U.-mandated Ugandan peacekeepers, AUSSOM. Each group demands separate document verification. Your passport and ticket which is the simple identifiers of your intention to fly, are subjected to multiple layers of inspection, creating confusion about who is ultimately in charge.
This dual control reflects an uncomfortable truth; a deep mistrust among security apparatuses themselves. The presence of non-Somali forces exercising such authority over Somali nationals sends a painful message: the sovereignty of Somalia is still in question, and its own people are not trusted by its own systems.
Searches Upon Searches — Repeating the Cycle
After clearing the Ugandan and Somali initial checks, travellers face yet another round of inspection — again by Somali police. Bags are removed and lined up to be sniffed by dogs. The sight of dogs pacing over personal belongings, many of which hold sentimental or sacred value, is especially humiliating to many Somalis, for whom the presence of dogs in public life is culturally sensitive.
Even after enduring this, another checkpoint awaits: the entrance to the international departure lounge. Once more, travellers must show their identification and flight details. By now, a total of six different security checks have been conducted before even reaching the check-in counter.
Immigration — A Gauntlet of Verification
One would hope that having cleared all these barriers, the process would get smoother. Instead, the immigration process involves multiple levels of questioning, double-checking and manual verification of documents. Some passengers are pulled aside for secondary questioning, sometimes based on nothing more than appearance, name, or travel history.
It’s here that many travellers begin to internalize the message: “You are not trusted.” This repeated scrutiny, even for the most mundane of international flights, cultivates anxiety, stress, and humiliation. There is little consistency between officers, and even less coordination — raising doubts about the effectiveness of such a bloated security protocol.
The Final Blow — Carry-ons and Canine Inspection
Just as passengers prepare to board, there is one final ordeal. Carry-on luggage must be handed over for yet another dog inspection. There is no automation, no transparency, and no clear timeline. Passengers wait, often under the heat, for up to 30 minutes, watching their belongings sifted through and sniffed; the final symbolic act of distrust before departure.
This moment, just before boarding, should be a time of relief. Instead, it becomes the most dehumanizing point of the journey.
The Hidden Cost: Dignity and National Image
For many, particularly Somali citizens, the experience is more than just inconvenient. It is a painful contradiction. The same country they work to uplift, defend, and promote abroad, treats them as suspects at home. The lack of coordination between Somali security forces and foreign troops, and the endless repetition of identity checks, reflects a deeper insecurity — not of the people, but of the system itself.
International airports are meant to be symbols of openness, efficiency, and pride. Yet Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport, with its overlapping jurisdictions, uncoordinated agencies, and culturally tone-deaf practices, sends a message that is hard to ignore: Somalia does not yet fully trust its people or itself.
The Path Forward: Security with Dignity
Security is non-negotiable, especially in a post-conflict nation. But dignity is not expendable. The solution lies not in reducing security, but in streamlining it. The Somali police, immigration officers, and aviation authorities must work to establish a unified, well-trained, and culturally competent security structure. One that upholds global standards without compromising the basic human rights and dignity of travellers.
Technology, coordination, and trust can reduce the current multi-layered system to an efficient and respectful process. International support should focus not only on security equipment, but on building institutional trust and accountability.
Until then, each flight out of Mogadishu will carry more than passengers — it will carry the weight of humiliation, inflicted not by enemies, but by the very systems meant to protect and serve.