1 year after 14 Oct attack: Have we even learnt a single lesson.

Today marks one year since the 14 Oct, Zobbe attack when 500+ innocent lives were heinously shattered in Mugdisho. The government commemorates the tragedy with somber tribute and a new monument was erected at the scene but the one million dollar question is — Have we even learned a lesson?

Tragedy inevitably unfolds to mankind but doomed are those who do nothing to try to avert it.

Everyone vividly remembers how the state of the nation was on 14 Oct, when a truck loaded with explosive devices went off like lightening in one of the busiest junctions and buried everyone & everything around under piles of rubbles.
Within seconds, the sound of ambulance sirens filled up the air. Youth frantically began to divide themselves into groups. Some helped donate blood in hospitals, some set up a centre where families could trace their missing loved once, others helped the army retrieve the dead. There was also a world wide alert and well-wisher allies immediately began to send both health practitioners and medical supplies’, others extended their heartfelt message of condolences. And eventually, the President declared a state of emergency.

So far ironically no one claimed responsibility for the attack up to date. Word had that this was not orchestrated by Alshabab. But it was clear it was them. They achieved their feats: which was to create panic and send shock waves. It also demonstrated not only to Somalia but to the world the enduring treat of terrorism that despite mounting pressure they are still alive & cunning.

How civilians responded
The domestic & the expatriate responses to the 14 Oct attack was almost as dramatic. A surge of patriotism gripped the nation. Somali citizens all over the world tied red garments in their heads to show grieve & solidarity. People donated money, blood and medical supplies. Mosques prayed for the victims to heal quickly and sent a word of curse to the perpetrators.

How the government responded

However, the government apart from apprehending teenagers who were associated with attack have not done enough before & after the catastrophe. Unlike United States who after 9/11 attacked and punished the terrorists, Somalia govt took no single stride towards the enemy to take reprisals to the hundreds who lost their lives. In fact, the terrorist went on a head to plot more attacks to the mourning families.

Is our government doing enough to thwart plausible future attacks of similar scale/nature?!

The answer is definitely “No”. Actually, our government seems as if there is no lurking danger. There are no check points inside & outside the capital city. Or if there are any, the soldiers are not given full authority to search every car. They are not given enough care to those that get wounded or die in those endeavours so there is a lot indifference among the army too. Trucks that once the government banned to operate in the capital during the day seems to move around overloaded. The minister of security who terribly failed to live up to his words is still kept in office and seems un-bothered. The soldiers are under paid while government puppets live in luxury hotels & get paid thousands for blindly ululating them.

Dear Mr President,

We can’t afford a similar loss of precious lives. We can’t lose potential doctors, nurses, engineers, athletes and leaders. No we can’t! Please, if you can’t wipe out the terrorist as you promised at least do something to scare them away. Don’t give them another chance to tear up our seeming dwindling hope.

Regards