Port of Mogadishu | |
---|---|
The Port of Mogadishu harbor | |
![]() Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
Location | |
Country | ![]() |
Location | Mogadishu, Somali Sea |
Coordinates | 2°1′N45°19′E / 2.017°N 45.317°E [1] |
UN/LOCODE | SOMGQ [2] |
Details | |
Operated by | Albayrak Group |
Owned by | Somali Port Authority |
Statistics | |
Website www |
The Port of Mogadishu, (Somali: Dekada Muqdisho, Italian: Porto di Mogadiscio) also known as the Mogadishu International Port, [3] is the official seaport of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. Classified as a major class port, [4] it is the largest harbour in the country. [5]
Since the Roman empire, a commercial port called Sarapion existed in what is now modern Mogadishu. However, during the Middle Ages the port of Mogasdishu was very small and only with the arrival of the Italians in 1890 were the first improvements made in order to create a modern port. The port has since increased in capacity to become most important port of Somalia and one of the biggest in eastern Africa.
The Port of Mogadishu was created as a modern port (called in Italian Porto di Mogadiscio) with magazines and docks in the late 1920s by the Italian government of Italian Somalia. In 1930 a protective dike with breakwaters was made in front of the enlarged port, [6] which was connected to the Somalia interior by a railway and even by a new "imperial road" (from Mogadishu to Addis Abeba). [7]
In 1934, the port of Italian Mogadiscio had exports of 43.467 tons of agricultural products (mainly bananas) to Italy and Europe. For this commercial transport were used the service of special container-ships called "RAMB" (that were built with the possibility to be converted to be an auxiliary cruiser). The Ramb II was a banana boat based in Mogadishu. This was the second of four sister ships all built to the same design: the other ships were the Ramb I , the Ramb III , and the Ramb IV . The four ships were built for the Royal Banana Monopoly ("Regia Azienda Monopolio Banane") to transport refrigerated bananas from Italian Somalia to Italy.
In 1936 the port started to have a weekly international ship line for passengers, connecting Mogadishu with Massaua in Eritrea and Genova in Italy with the Italian Lloyd Triestino and Italian Line. [8] The MS Vulcania was a transatlantic ship that served the port of Mogadiscio. Later, in 1941 the port was damaged by British bombings during World War II.
During the 1960s the port was improved, thanks to studies done by the US Army Corps of Engineers. [9]
After it incurred some damage during the civil war, the Federal Government of Somalia launched the Mogadishu Port Rehabilitation Project, [3] an initiative to rebuild, develop and modernize the port. [5] The renovations include the installation of Alpha Logistics technology. [10] A joint international delegation consisting of the Director of the Port of Djibouti and Chinese officials specializing in infrastructure reconstruction concurrently visited the facility in June 2013. According to Mogadishu Port manager Abdullahi Ali Nur, the delegates along with local Somali officials received reports on the port's functions as part of the rebuilding project's planning stages. [5] [11]
In November 2014, Minister of Transportation Said Jama Mohamed launched a new transportation reform initiative at the Port of Mogadishu. The minister met with local transportation union officials to discuss how to optimize the new system's implementation, ensure its transparency and accountability, and gauge their requirements and those of the owners of transported goods that they represent. According to Mohamed, the project's ultimate goal is to establish a fair transportation system. He also stressed that transport owners should make sure that their vehicles are in good condition and attain the standards of goods owners. [12]
In 2013, the Port of Mogadishu's management reportedly reached an agreement with representatives of the Dubai-based company Simatech Shipping LLC to handle vital operations at the seaport. [5] [13] Under the name Mogadishu Port Container Terminal, the firm is slated to handle all of the port's technical and operational functions. [5]
In October 2013, the federal Cabinet endorsed an agreement with the Turkish firm Al-Bayrak to manage the Port of Mogadishu for a 5-year period. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the deal was secured by the Ministry of Ports and Public Works, and also assigns Al-Bayrak responsibility for rebuilding and modernizing the port. [14] Al-Bayrak had previously overseen construction of the Istanbul Metro in Istanbul. [15] In April 2014, the Federal Parliament postponed finalization of the Seaport Management Deal pending the approval of a new foreign investment bill. The MPs also requested that the agreement be submitted to the legislature for deliberation and to ensure that the interests of the port's manual labourers are taken into account. [16] [17] In September 2014, the federal government officially delegated management of the Mogadishu Port to Al-Bayrak. The Turkish company's head Ahmed Salim indicated that under the terms of the agreement, 55% of revenue generated at the seaport will go to the government and the remaining 45% is earmarked for the firm. According to Minister for Transports and Seaport Yussuf Maolim Amin, the management transfer is expected to double the federal authorities' income from the Port. Al-Bayrak's modernization project will cost $80 million. [18]
According to Al-Bayrak, the majority of its revenue share will be re-invested in the seaport through additional port-based trade and new docks, construction materials and machinery. The company also plans to install an environment wall and a closed circuit camera system in accordance with international security protocols, erect a modern port administration building, and clean the ship entrance channels via underwater surveillance. As of September 2014, the first phase of the renovations were reportedly complete, with the second phase underway. [19] During its first month of operation under Al-Bayrak, the port generated $2.7 million in service revenue. [15]
Towards 2014, a Dubai-registered shipping line company advanced its expansion to Mogadishu Port. In 2015, African Shipping Line-Kenya made registration and presence as a ship agency, and container agent in the Port of Mogadishu. African Shipping Line- ASLINE Somalia, a representative of Kenya-based company African Shipping Line - ASLINE Kenya, is set to provide services related to Container Feeder Shipping, ship liner agency and logistic services at Mogadishu as well as other Somalia Ports like Kismayo, Bosasso and Berbera port in Somaliland. [20]
Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. The country was an important centre for commerce with the rest of the ancient world, and according to most scholars, it is among the most probable locations of the fabled ancient Land of Punt. During the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali states and port towns dominated the regional trade, the Mogadishu Sultanate and Ajuran Sultanate both centered around the port town Mogadishu, but also the port towns of Barawe and Merca.
Transport in Somalia refers to the transportation networks and modes of transport in effect in Somalia. They include highways, airports and seaports, in addition to various forms of public and private vehicular, maritime and aerial transportation.
Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has an estimated urban population of 2,610,483.
Aden Adde International Airport, formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, is an international airport serving Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. It is named after Aden Abdullah Osman Daar, the first President of Somalia.
Economic history of Somalia is related to the development of Somalia's economy in the last two centuries.
Mass media in Somalia includes various radio, television, print and internet outlets. The federal government operates two official radio and TV networks, which exist alongside a number of private and foreign stations. Print media in the country is progressively giving way to news radio stations and online portals, as internet connectivity and access increases. In February 2013, the Ministry of Information, Posts and Telecommunication also launched a broad-based consultative process for the reformation of media legislation.
Italian Somalis are Somali-born citizens who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Somalia during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Somalia. Most of the Italians moved to Somalia during the Italian colonial period.
The Mogadiscio–Villabruzzi Railway is an historical railway system that ran through southern Somalia. It was constructed between 1914 and 1927 by the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland. The railway connected the capital city Mogadishu with Afgooye, and subsequently with Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi – usually called "Villabruzzi". The line was later dismantled by British troops during World War II. Plans for re-establishing the railway were made in the 1980s by the Siad Barre administration, but were aborted after the regime's collapse.
Railway transport in Somalia consisted of the erstwhile Mogadishu–Villabruzzi Railway and secondary tracks. The system was built during the 1910s by the authorities in Italian Somaliland. Its track gauge was 950 mm, a gauge favoured by the Italians in their colonies in the Horn of Africa and North Africa. The railway was dismantled in the 1940s by the British during their military occupation of Italian Somaliland, and was subsequently never rehabilitated.
Somalia–Turkey relations are bilateral relations between Somalia and Turkey. The two nations are longstanding partners, engaging in close development cooperation.
Mohamed Osman Jawari, also known as Mohamed Jawari or Osman Jawari, is a Somali attorney and politician. He is former Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Somalia. He also briefly served as acting President of Somalia in August and September 2012.
Agriculture in Somalia is a major employment activity and is the largest economic sector in the country. It contributes more than 65% to the national GDP from domestic distribution and exports to other parts of the continent, the Middle East and Europe.
The Port of Kismayo also known as the Kismayo Port, is the official seaport of Kismayo, situated in southern Somalia. It is classified as a major class port. It has a harbour as well as a pier which juts into the Somali Sea.
The Port of Merca also known as Merca Port, is the official seaport of Merca, situated in southeastern Somalia. It is classified as a jetty class port. It has a harbour as well as a pier which juts into the Somali Sea.
Said Jama korshel, also known as Said Qorshel, is a Somali politician. He served as the Minister of Air and Land Transport of Somalia from January 2014 to January 2015.
Operation Indian Ocean was a joint military operation between the Somali military, AMISOM and the United States military against the Al-Shabaab militant group aimed at eliminating the remaining insurgent-held areas in southern Somalia. It officially began in August 2014.
Yusuf Mohamed Ismail "Bari-Bari" was a Somali diplomat and politician. He was the Ambassador of Somalia to the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva.
Vittorio di Africa was a small town in southern Italian Somalia, created by Italian colonists in the late 1920s near the southern Shebelle river.
Genale is a town founded by Italian colonists in the southeastern Lower Shebelle region of Italian Somalia. Currently it is called Janaale.
The Royal Banana Monopoly was a state-owned enterprise founded in Mogadishu in 1935, to transport and market bananas harvested in Italian Somalia throughout the rest of the Italian Empire, directly under the control of the Colonial Ministry. Even if the last transport of bananas to Italy happened in early 1940, it survived the first years of WW2 – and officially lasted until 1946.