Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo,
Maay
Mai-Mai, commonly spelled Maay Maay (also known as ''Af-Maay'', ''Af-Maymay'', or simply ''Maay''; the ''Mai-Mai'' spelling is rarely used but it is most often spoken), is a dialect of the Somali language of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiat ...
: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a
port city
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
in the southern
Lower Juba
Lower Juba ( so, Jubbada Hoose, Maay: ''Jubithy Hoosy'', ar, جوبا السفلى, it, Basso Giuba) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. With its capital at Kismayo, it lies in the autonomous Jubaland region. It has gr ...
(Jubbada Hoose) province of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous
Jubaland region.
The city is situated southwest of
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), 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 Oc ...
, near the mouth of the
Jubba River
The Jubba River or Juba River ( so, Wabiga Jubba) is a river in southern Somalia which flows through the autonomous region of Jubaland. It begins at the border with Ethiopia, where the Dawa and Ganale Dorya rivers meet, and flows directly south ...
, where the waters empty into the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...
. According to the
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
, the city of Kismayo had a population of around 89,333 in 2005.
During the Middle Ages, Kismayo and its surrounding area was part of the
Ajuran Empire
The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in th ...
that governed much of southern
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
and eastern
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, with its domain extending from
Hobyo
Hobyo (; so, Hobyo), is an ancient port city in Galmudug state in the north-central Mudug region of Somalia.
Hobyo was founded as a coastal outpost by the Ajuran Empire during the 13th century.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: ...
in the north, to
Qelafo in the west, to Kismayo in the south.
[Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: reconstructing the history of a pastoral people, 1600–1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.102.]
In the
early modern period, Kismayo was ruled by the
Geledi Sultanate
The Sultanate of the Geledi ( so, Saldanadda Geledi, ar, سلطنة غلدي) also known as the Gobroon Dynasty Somali Sultanate: The Geledi City-state Over 150 Years - Virginia Luling (2002) Page 229 was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of th ...
and by the later 1800s, the Boqow dynasty. The kingdom was eventually incorporated into
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...
in 1910 after the death of the last sultan,
Osman Ahmed
Osman Ahmed ( ar, عثمان أحمد) was a Somali ruler. He was the fifth and final Sultan of the Geledi Sultanate. Osman Ahmed is considered less illustrious than his predecessors and Gobroon power weakened considerably under his rule. He was ...
. After independence in 1960, the city was made the center of the official
Kismayo District
Kismayo District ( so, Degmada Kismayo) is a district in the southern Jubbada Hoose region of Somalia. Its capital is Kismayo
Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lo ...
.
Kismayo was the site of numerous battles during the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, from the early 1990s. In late 2006, Islamist militants gained control of most of the city. To reclaim possession of the territory, a new autonomous regional administration dubbed ''Azania'' was announced in 2010 and formalized in 2011. In September 2012, the
Somali National Army
The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...
and
AMISOM troops re-captured the city from the
Al-Shabaab insurgents.
The Juba Interim Administration was subsequently officially established and recognized in 2013.
History
Antiquity
During antiquity. Kismayo was part of the
Somali city-states that in engaged in a lucrative trade network connecting
Somali merchants with
Phoenicia
Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
,
Ptolemic Egypt,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
,
Parthian Persia,
Saba Saba may refer to:
Places
* Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea
* Şaba (Romanian for Shabo), a town of the Odesa Oblast, Ukraine
* Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras
* Saba (river), ...
,
Nabataea and the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
. Somali sailors used the ancient Somali maritime vessel known as the ''
beden
The Beden, badan, or alternate type names Beden-seyed and Beden-safar, is a fast, ancient Somali single or double-masted maritime vessel and ship, typified by its towering stern-post and powerful rudder. It is also the longest surviving sewn boa ...
'' to transport their cargo.
[Journal of African History pg.50 by John Donnelly Fage and Roland Anthony Oliver]
Middle Ages and the early modern period
The Kismayo area was originally a small fishing settlement.
During the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, the region came under the rule of the influential
Ajuran Sultanate
The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in th ...
, which utilized the Jubba River for its plantations.
After the collapse of this polity, the House of Gobroon was established and the
Sultanate of the Geledi
The Sultanate of the Geledi ( so, Saldanadda Geledi, ar, سلطنة غلدي) also known as the Gobroon Dynasty Somali Sultanate: The Geledi City-state Over 150 Years - Virginia Luling (2002) Page 229 was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the ...
held sway over the area. The dynasty reached its apex under the successive reigns of
Sultan Yusuf Mahamud Ibrahim
Yusuf Mahamud Ibrahim ( so, Yuusuf Maxamuud Ibrahiim, ar, يوسف محمود ابراهيم) was a Somali people, Somali ruler. He was the third and most powerful Sultan of the Geledi sultanate, reigning from 1798 to 1848. Under the reign of Sul ...
, who successfully consolidated Gobroon power during the Bardera wars, and Sultan
Ahmed Yusuf, who forced regional powers such as the
Omani Empire
The Omani Empire ( ar, الإمبراطورية العُمانية) was a maritime empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for trade and influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control ...
to submit
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
.
Colonial era
Jubaland became part of the
British East Africa
East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was an area in the African Great Lakes occupying roughly the same terrain as present-day Kenya from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Controlled by Bri ...
colony and was later transferred to
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...
The Italians subsequently referred to the city as ''Chisimaio''. Kismayo and the northern half of the Jubaland region were then incorporated into neighboring
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...
on 30 June 1926. The colony had a total area of 87,000 km
2 (33,000 sq mi), with a population of 120,000 inhabitants. Britain retained control of the southern half of the partitioned Jubaland territory, which was later called the
Northern Frontier District
The North Eastern Province ( so, Gobolka Woqooyi Bari, 𐒌𐒙𐒁𐒙𐒐𐒏𐒖 𐒓𐒙𐒎𐒝𐒕𐒘 𐒁𐒖𐒇𐒘) is one of the former provinces in Kenya. It has a land area of 127,358.5 km2, with its capital at Garissa. Previ ...
(NFD).
Somali Civil War
Following the breakdown of central authority that accompanied the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in 1991, various local militias fought for control of the city, including supporters of
Mohammed Said Hersi ("General Morgan"), and Col. Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale
Somali National Front
The ''Somali National Front (SNF)'' (Somali: ''Dhaqdhaqaaqa Jabhada Soomaliyeed'') was a politico-military organization that operated in southern Somalia during the Somali Civil War and represented one of the major factions involved in the conflict ...
(SNF), later on known as the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA). As well of Col. Omar Jess'
Somali Patriotic Movement
The Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM, so, Dhaqdhaqaaqa Wadaniga Soomaaliyeed, ar, الحركة الوطنية الصومالية) is a political party and paramilitary organization in Somalia, and a key faction in the Somali Civil War. (SPM). Aid worker
Sean Devereux
Sean Devereux (25 November 1964 – 2 January 1993) was a British Salesian missionary and aid worker murdered in Kismayo, Somalia in 1993 while working for UNICEF. He has since become an important role model for the aid-working vocation, partic ...
was assassinated in the city in January 1993. In March 1993, a
United States Marine
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
amphibious group arrived in the city in an attempt to keep the peace as part of the
United Nations intervention in Somalia. By December 1993, General Morgan's troops controlled Kismayo, despite the presence of peacekeepers. The last UN troops left the city in December 1994.
General Morgan briefly declared Jubaland independent on September 3, 1998.
[Footnotes to History: G to J]
Footnotes to History Political opponents of his subsequently united as the
Allied Somali Forces
The Allied Somali Forces (ASF) was a political faction of the Somali Civil War. It was the primary opponent of the Margans Malitia for the control of Kismayo and the Juba River valley, the area known as Jubaland.
Following the breakdown of ce ...
(ASF), seizing control of Kismayo by June of the following year.
[Somalia Assessment, September 1999]
Country Information and Policy Unit, Immigration & Nationality Directorate, Home Office, UK Led by Colonel
Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale
Barre Adan Shire ( so, Barre Aadan Shire, ar, باري ادن شاير), also known as Barre Hiiraale, Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, or Abdikadir Adan Shire, is a former Minister of Defense of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). He wa ...
, the ASF administration renamed itself the
Juba Valley Alliance
The Juba Valley Alliance (JVA; Somali: ''Isbahaysiga Dooxada Jubba'') is a political faction of the Somali Civil War. It was the primary opponent of the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM) and the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC ...
in 2001. On June 18 of that year, an 11-member interclan council decided to ally the JVA with the newly forming
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ( so, Dowladda Federaalka Kumeelgaarka, ar, الحكومة الاتحادية الانتقالية) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Republic of Somalia from 14 October ...
.
In 2006 the
Islamic Courts Union
The Islamic Courts Union ( so, Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga) was a legal and political organization formed to address the lawlessness that had been gripping Somalia since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 during the Somali Civil War.
Th ...
(ICU), an
Islamist organization, fought with Jubaland's inhabitants of the state the Darod Marehan (JVA). And invaded other parts of southern Somalia and promptly imposed
Shari'a law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
. The Transitional Federal Government sought to re‑establish its authority, and, with the assistance of
Ethiopian troops,
African Union peacekeepers and air support by the United States, managed to drive out the rival ICU and solidify its rule.
On January 8, 2007, as the
Battle of Ras Kamboni raged just south of Kismayo, the TFG relocated from its interim location in
Baidoa to the nation's capital,
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), 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 Oc ...
. This marked the first time since the fall of the
Siad Barre regime in 1991 that the federal government controlled most of the country.
[Somalia President, Parliament Speaker dispute over TFG term](_blank)
Following this defeat, the Islamic Courts Union splintered into several different factions. Some of the more radical elements, including
Al-Shabaab, regrouped to continue their insurgency against the TFG and oppose the Ethiopian military's presence in Somalia. Throughout 2007 and 2008, Al‑Shabaab scored military victories, seizing control of key towns and ports in both central and southern Somalia. By January 2009, Al‑Shabaab and other militias had managed to force the Ethiopian troops to retreat, leaving behind an under-equipped
African Union peacekeeping force to assist the Transitional Federal Government's troops.
In September 2012,
Somali Army
The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...
, Ras Kamboni militiamen and Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF), all under command of the African Union Mission in Somalia
AMISOM, re-captured the city from the Al-Shabaab insurgents during the
Battle of Kismayo (2012).
This was a culmination to the Kenyan
Operation Linda Nchi
Operation Linda Nchi ( sw, Linda Nchi; "Protect the Country") had the Kenya Defence Forces enter southern Somalia beginning in 2011. The Kenyan government declared the operation completed in March 2012, but its forces then joined AMISOM in So ...
attack into Somalia which had begun late the year before.
On 12 July 2019, a car bomb and a gun attack at the
Asasey hotel killed at least 26, including two prominent journalists and nine foreigners. Islamist group
al-Shabab claimed responsibility.
Geography
Location
Kismayo is located in the fertile
Juba Valley
The Jubba Valley ( so, Dooxada Jubbada) is a valley in East Africa.
It follows the line of the Jubba River north from the Indian Ocean to the Somalia-Ethiopia border. The valley then splits, one branch following the Dawa River west along the Ethi ...
in southeastern Somalia, on the Somali Sea coast. Nearby settlements include to the northeast Xamareyso (5.0 nm), to the north
Dalxiiska (1.3 nm), to the northwest Qeyla Dheere (6.4 nm), to the west Saamogia (0.9 nm), to the southwest Iach Bulle (10.0 nm), and to the south Qandal (6.5 nm).
The largest cities in the country most proximate to Kismayo are
Jamaame
Jamame ( so, Jamaame, ar, جمامة, it, Giamama formerly ''Villaggio Regina Margherita''), also spelled Giamame, is a town in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) region of Somalia. There are many farms located near Jamame. The equator pa ...
(52 km),
Jilib
Jilib (other names: Gilib, Gelib, Jillib, Jillio; ) is a city in Somalia, It is north of Kismaayo.
History
During the Middle Ages, Jilib and its surrounding area was part of the Ajuran Empire that governed much of southern Somalia and eastern Eth ...
(97 km), and
Merca
Merca ( so, Marka, Maay: ''Marky'', ar, مركة) is a historic port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory ...
(337 km).
Climate
Kismayo has a
hot arid climate (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''BWh''), despite receiving around of rainfall per year, due to the extremely high potential evapotranspiration. Weather is hot year-round, with seasonal
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...
winds and irregular rainfall with recurring droughts. The ''gu'' rains, also known as the Southwest Monsoons, begin in April and last until July producing significant fresh water and allowing lush vegetation to grow. The ''gu'' season is followed by the ''xagaa'' (hagaa) dry season.
Government
A new municipal district administration was established on 6 September 2008. Its members reportedly represented the ICU and Al‑Shabaab (three members each) in addition to a local clan (one member) which had played a part in the military assault. Representatives of the Islamic Courts Union questioned the legitimacy of the authority. On 1 October 2009, Al Shabaab took full control of the city, after
Col. Barre Adan Shire Hiiraale self proclaim President of the (JVA) Jubaland state. And
Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, a senior commander of
Ras Kamboni Brigade
The Ras Kamboni Brigades also known as the Ras Kamboni Brigade, Muaskar Ras Kamboni or Mu'askar Ras Kamboni was an Islamist insurgent group active in Somalia (mostly in the Jubbalands), which took part in the anti-Ethiopian insurgency and later ...
(then a part of
Hizbul Islam
Hizbul Islam ("Islamic Party"), also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam, was a Somali Islamist group formed after four Islamist groups merged to oppose the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The four gr ...
), challenged Al‑Shabaab's control.
With the subsequent ouster of the Al-Shabaab rebels in September 2012, the Somali government began preparing mediations between the city's various stakeholders in order to establish an inclusive local administration.
On 28 August 2013, the autonomous Jubaland administration signed a national reconciliation agreement in
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
with the federal government. Endorsed by the federal State Minister for the Presidency Farah Abdulkadir on behalf of President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ( so, Xasan Sheekh Maxamuud, ar, حسن شيخ محمود; born 29 November 1955) is a Somali politician who has served as the president of Somalia since May 2022. He is the founder and current chairman of the Union for ...
, the pact was brokered by the Foreign Ministry of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
and came after protracted bilateral talks.
Under the terms of the agreement, Jubaland is administered for a two-year period by a Juba Interim Administration and led by the region's incumbent president, Ahmed Mohamed Islam. The regional president serves as the chairperson of a new Executive Council, to which he appoints three deputies. Additionally, the agreement includes the integration of Jubaland's military forces under the central command of the Somali National Army (SNA), and stipulates that the Juba Interim Administration will command the regional police.
Districts
Kismayo is divided into 4 districts or ''degmo'' (see
map
A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes.
Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...
):
*Calanley
*Farjano
*Shaqaalaha
*Fanoole
Demographics
, Kismayo has an estimated population of 89,333 residents.
The city is inhibited by ethnic
Somalis
The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...
Mainly
Darood,
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia (Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nort ...
,
Dir and
Rahanweyn
The Rahanweyn ( Maay: ''Reewin or Roowing'', Northern Somali: ''Raxanweyn'', ar, رحنوين), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () are a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory and dense ...
clans.
Education
Institutions of higher learning in the city include
Kismayo University (KU). Established in August 2005, it is situated about 1 km north, along the Kismayo–Mogadishu main road.
Economy
Kismayo is the market center and commercial hub autonomous of the Jubbaland region. Banks with a presence in Kismayo include Salama bank and many other money remittance business.
In October 2008, the daily labor rate was estimated at 157,500
Somali shilling
The Somali shilling (sign: Sh.So.; so, shilin; ar, شلن; it, scellino; ISO 4217: SOS) is the official currency of Somalia. It is subdivided into 100 ''senti'' (Somali, also ), ''cents'' (English) or (Italian).
Overview
Early history
The ...
s (approximately $4.50), up from 52,000 shillings (approximately $2.21) in January 2008, while kilogram of red rice rose from 14,170 (approximately $0.61) to 46,000 (approximately $1.31). A liter of diesel cost 43,000 shillings (approximately $1.23) and a camel costs over 15 million shillings (approximately $435). Total cereal production as of 2008 was estimated to be 780MT.
Transportation
Airport
Kismayo's air transportation needs are served by
Kismayo Airport
Kismayo Airport , also known as Kisimayu Airport, is an international airport serving Kismayo, the capital city of the Lower Juba region in Somalia. It is located in southern Jubaland, an autonomous region in Somalia.
The airport was first see ...
, which is situated about 10 km from the city. It was formerly a
Somali Air Force
"Lean Together"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment =
, equipment_l ...
training base. Following the outbreak of the civil war, the airport was closed down for a period of time and its infrastructure was significantly damaged. However, the facility was reopened in October 2008 by the Islamic Courts Union after undergoing some renovations. That same year, the airport was also renamed after Imam
Ahmed Gurey
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi ( so, Axmed Ibraahim al-Qaasi or Axmed Gurey, Harari: አሕመድ ኢብራሂም አል-ጋዚ, ar, أحمد بن إبراهيم الغازي ; 1506 – 21 February 1543) was an imam and general of the Adal Sultan ...
, a 16th‑century Somali military leader.
The Kismayo Airport was officially brought under the Juba Interim Administration in August 2013. Per agreement, management of the facility was scheduled to be transferred to the
Federal Government after a period of six months. Revenues and resources generated from the airport will also be earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development.
Roads
Three main thoroughfares connect Kismayo to other major areas in the country. The 600 km Highway 3 runs the length of the
Juba Valley
The Jubba Valley ( so, Dooxada Jubbada) is a valley in East Africa.
It follows the line of the Jubba River north from the Indian Ocean to the Somalia-Ethiopia border. The valley then splits, one branch following the Dawa River west along the Ethi ...
. Starting in
Beled Hawo
Beled Hawo ( so, Beledxaawo or ) is a business town in Gedo, Somalia. Beledxaawo is a border town & business gateway to Kenya and Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya o ...
, it goes through
Garbaharey
}, Maay: ''Garbiharey'', ) is the capital of Gedo, an administrative region in southern Somalia. It is the third largest and most populous city in Gedo region after Bardera and Luuq.
History
During the Middle Ages, Garbahare and its surroundin ...
,
Bardera
Bardera ( ar, بارديرا, so, Bardhere) is a city in Jubaland State of Somalia. It is the second largest and most populous city in Jubaland with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region. Bardera sits on the Jub ...
and
Buale
Bu'ale ( so, Bu'aale, Maay: ''Bu'aaly'') is a town in the Middle Juba region of Somalia. It is the capital of the Bu'aale District as well as the de jure capital of the Jubaland State region, situated in the southern Jubba River valley. Bu'ale i ...
before finally reaching Kismayo.
A paved 528 km freeway links the capital
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), 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 Oc ...
with Kismayo, passing through
Jilib
Jilib (other names: Gilib, Gelib, Jillib, Jillio; ) is a city in Somalia, It is north of Kismaayo.
History
During the Middle Ages, Jilib and its surrounding area was part of the Ajuran Empire that governed much of southern Somalia and eastern Eth ...
before turning towards the capital. A third highway extends northwest from Kismayo to
Afmadow, then turns toward
Dhobley in the eastern part of the Gedo region.
In January 2015, the Interim Juba Administration launched a transport beautification and cleaning campaign in Kismayo. Part of a broader urbanization drive, the initiative includes the clearing of clogged streets and lanes, razing of illegal buildings therein, and further development of the municipal road network.
Seaport
Kismayo's large docks are situated on a
peninsula on the Somali Sea coast. Formerly one of the
Bajuni Islands
The Bajuni Islands ( it, Isole Giuba, also known as the Bajun Islands or Baajun Islands) are an archipelago in southern Somalia. They are situated in the Somali sea in the southern coast of Jubaland, from Kismayo to Ras Kiyamboni (not to be confuse ...
, the peninsula was subsequently connected by a narrow
causeway when the modern
Port of Kismayo was built in 1964 with U.S. assistance. The port served as a base for the
Somali Navy
The Somali Navy ( so, Ciidamada Badda Soomaaliyeed, ar, القوات البحرية الصومالية ''Al-Quwwat al-Bahriyah as-Sumaliyah'') is the naval warfare service branch of the Somali Armed Forces. During the post-independence period, t ...
as well as the
Soviet Navy after the military coup in Somalia in 1969.
[UPI]
U.S. Will Spend $38.6 Million To Refurbish Port in Somalia
September 20, 1984 Somalia and the United States jointly refurbished the port in 1984 after significant wear to the four-berth, marginal wharf at the harbor required major renovations to maintain operations.
[R. Lee Hadden, Topographic Engineering Center, ]U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
,
The Geology of Somalia: a Selected Bibliography of Somalian Geology, Geography and Earth Science
February 2007
The Port of Kismayo was officially brought under the Juba Interim Administration in August 2013. According to the agreement, management of the facility was scheduled to be transferred to the Somali Federal Government after a period of six months. Revenues and resources generated from the seaport were to be, like the Kismayo airport, earmarked for Jubaland's service delivery and security sectors as well as local institutional development.
Notable residents
*
Mohamed Ibrahim Liqliiqato
Mohamed Ibrahim Liqliqato (1921, Kismayo, Italian Somaliland – 1998) was a Somali military and political leader, worked as an ambassador, minister, speaker of the Parliament and was prominent figure of Siyad Barre's rule in Somalia.
In 1964 L ...
- General, military and political leader, ambassador to Soviet Union and West Germany, Speaker of Parliament(1983–1990).
*
Abdullahi Ahmed Irro – General in the Somali National Army
*
Hussein Samatar – politician, banker and community organizer
See also
*
Fall of Kismayo
References
Kismayo, Somalia
External links
1992 Map of Kismayu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kismayo
Populated places in Lower Juba
Populated coastal places in Somalia
Ajuran Sultanate
Cities in Somalia