Lido Beach (Somali : Xeebta Liido) is a beach in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, which overlooks the Somali Sea. The name Lido derives from the Italian word for "beach". The name Liido is also very popular among locals.[ citation needed ]
Lido Beach (Somali : Xeebta Liido) is a beach in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, which overlooks the Somali Sea. The name Lido derives from the Italian word for "beach". The name Liido is also very popular among locals.[ citation needed ]
The beach in northern Mogadishu was initially developed in the late 1930s for the Italian colonists living in the capital of Italian Somalia. [1]
In the 1950s, it was fully developed by the Italian administration under United Nations rule, with the enlargement of a nearby hotel that was Mogadishu's tallest building during those years.[ citation needed ]
After decades of civil war and anarchy in the capital, the beach fell into disuse. However, it has experienced a revival in the last decade. [2] [ unreliable source? ]
In January 2016, al-Shabaab carried out a suicide car bombing and mass shooting at a restaurant, killing about 20 people.
In August 2020, al-Shabaab attacked a hotel, detonating a car bomb and engaging in a firefight with Somali security forces. Eleven victims and five attackers were killed; over 200 people were rescued by Somali special forces. The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan, strongly condemned the terrorist attack and said the UN "expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims." [3] [4]
In April 2022, a restaurant was attacked by an al-Shabaab suicide bomber. [5] In June 2023, a hotel was attacked by militants. [6]
Many people visit Mogadishu's coastline each weekend. [7] Somalia has the longest coastline in mainland Africa with 3100 km along the Indian Ocean, which has beaches valuable for tourism. Lido Beach has seafood restaurants, hotels, and parks. The Somali diaspora plays an important role in recovering Mogadishu, building new luxury downtown and beaches and restaurants, and many more that attract international tourists. There are many newly established businesses there. [8] [ cleanup needed ]
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations Security Council. It was mandated to support transitional governmental structures, implement a national security plan, train the Somali security forces, and to assist in creating a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian aid. As part of its duties, AMISOM supported the Federal Government of Somalia's forces in their battle against Al-Shabaab militants.
The Somali Civil War (2009–present) is the ongoing phase of the Somali Civil War which is concentrated in southern and central Somalia. It began in late January 2009 with the present conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Qaeda aligned al-Shabaab militants.
The Muna Hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was attacked by al-Shabaab fighters on 24 August 2010. The hotel was known to host government officials and other politicians. More fighting in the city began on 23 August.
The 2011 Mogadishu bombing occurred on 4 October 2011, when a suicide bomber drove a truck into the gate of the Transitional Federal Government's ministerial complex in Mogadishu, Somalia. The resulting explosion killed 100 people and injured over 110 others. Al-Shabaab, an Islamist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack is reported to be the largest since Al-Shabaab launched an insurgency in Somalia in early 2007. It also follows the withdrawal of Al-Shabaab's forces from the area in August after an AMISOM intervention to bring aid to the country during a season of drought.
On 20 February 2015, Al-Shabaab militants launched a surprise attack on the Central Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, where various Federal Government of Somalia officials had gathered for Friday prayers at the compound's mosque. Between 11 and 25 people were killed, including the suicide bomber, local deputy mayor and two MPs. The Federal Cabinet subsequently announced the formation of a security committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the attack, as well as a ministerial committee to follow up on the situation. Security forces thereafter apprehended a number of suspects, and deployed more police and soldiers onto the city's main roads.
On 27 March 2015, Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on the Makka al-Mukarama hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia. The siege ended a few hours later on 28 March, after a special forces unit of the Somali Armed Forces stormed the premises, recaptured it, and killed all five of the attackers. According to the Ministry of Information, around 20 people died during the standoff, including the perpetrators, security forces, hotel security guards and some civilians, with around 28 wounded. The special forces also rescued more than 50 hotel guests. President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ordered an investigation into the attack, and the Ministry of Information announced that the federal government was slated to pass new laws to curb illicit firearms. On 8 May, the Makka al-Mukarama hotel officially reopened after having undergone renovations.
An attack occurred on 21 January 2016 in Mogadishu, Somalia. Al-Shabaab drove a suicide car bomb at the gate of the Beach View Café, a seafood restaurant overlooking the city's Lido Beach. Another blast struck about an hour later as government soldiers laid siege to the restaurant. After the blasts, militants entered the building, some of them by boat, and attacked civilians within. About 20 people were killed and 17 others wounded. Several perpetrators were also killed and one was arrested.
This is a 2016 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2017 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2018 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
On 12 July 2019, four al-Shabaab gunmen attacked the Asasey Hotel in Kismayo, Jubaland, Somalia, after the other attacker breached the gate with a car bomb.
On 18 January 2020, a suicide car bombing killed four and injured at least 20 others in Afgooye, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Most of the casualties were police officers protecting Turkish contractors building a road. The al-Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is a 2022 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
This is a 2019 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).
Events in the year 2022 in Somalia.
On 22 April 2022, at least six people were killed and seven injured in a suicide bombing at a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Pescatore Seafood Restaurant had recently opened in the seaside area of Lido Beach. The explosion was detonated by an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber who had been denied access inside the restaurant, where the Somali Police Commissioner and several lawmakers gathered to have an Iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast. None of the legislators were harmed in the explosion, but some of the security personnel were among those killed in the blast. Local police did not specify how many, but did say those killed were mostly civilians.
On 16 August 2020, al-Shabaab killed 11 or 12 people at the Elite Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia.
During the evening of 19 August 2022, al-Shabaab gunmen attacked the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia. Initially, two car bombs exploded. Gunmen then stormed the hotel, shooting people and taking hostages. At least 21 people were killed, and 117 others were wounded, fifteen of whom are in critical condition. The number of gunmen involved in the attack is currently unknown.
On 29 October 2022, 121 people were killed and over 300 were injured by a double car bombing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused Sunni jihadist group al-Shabaab of carrying out the attacks, which they admitted. The bombing marks the deadliest attack in Somalia since the 14 October 2017 Mogadishu bombings at the same junction.
On 10 June 2023, al-Shabaab militants attacked a hotel in Lido Beach, Mogadishu, Somalia, resulting in the killing of six civilians, three soldiers and seven attackers.
