STORY: Bomb blast survivor, relieves fateful day last

October, as Somalis mark first anniversary of the deadly

twin attacks on Zoobe, Mogadishu
DURATION: 2:15
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 14/OCTOBER/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, Adan Muse Hassan, Zoobe October 14 bomb blast survivor walking
2. Pan shot, Adan Muse Hassan
3. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Adan Muse Hassan, Zoobe October 14 bomb blast survivor
“I managed to resolve the conflict and we agreed that the accident victim be
compensated for the injuries he incurred and I decided to rush back home using
Bajaj to attend to other matters”

4. Wide shot, Adan Muse Hassan shows the injury he sustained during the bomb
blast
5. Med shot, injury
6. Close up shot, injury
7. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Adan Muse Hassan, Zoobe October 14 bomb blast survivor
“I stood up and saw my left leg break just below my knee when the Bajaj landed on
its side. When I fell, I did not lose consciousness. I sat down and saw burning people
jump out of vehicles while others stuck helplessly.”

8. Med shot, Adan Muse Hassan showing the injury

9. Close up shot, Adan Muse Hassan
10. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Adan Muse Hassan, Zoobe October 14 bomb blast
survivor
“My mouth, ears, and nose were full of dust particles from the collapsed buildings.
Chemical fumes filled our lungs. I was gasping for air and I felt like it was the end of
the world.”

11. Wide shot, Zoobe-Mogadishu, October 14, 2017 bomb blast site
12. Med shot, former contingent commander Ugandan troops-AMISOM, Brig.
Kayanja Muhanga visiting the bomb blast site
13. Med shot, wreckage at the bomb blast site
14. Med shot, destroyed buildings
15. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Adan Muse Hassan, Zoobe October 14 bomb blast
survivor
“My life has severely changed. I used to sustain my family but now the income is
irregular. I can earn today and go home with nothing the following day.”

16. Med shot, Somali firefighters putting out the fire at the bomb blast site
17. Wide shot, Zoobe-Mogadishu, October 14, 2017 bomb blast site

STORY

Bomb blast survivor, relieves fateful day last October, as Somalis mark first
anniversary of the deadly twin attacks on Zoobe, Mogadishu

Traditional elder Adan Muse Hassan’s day started with optimism on October 14th of
2017. He predicted another rewarding day, as he carried out the challenging task of
resolving disputes and encouraging reconciliation, within the capital Mogadishu.

The sunny morning coupled with the gentle breeze from the imposing waters of the
Indian Ocean, was the perfect weather he had hoped for, to enable him carry out
his tasks.

On the fateful day, Adan left his house in Hamar Jajab district early in the morning to
meet a group of elders from two feuding clans at Kilometre 4 area. He had barely
brokered a peace deal, when he received a call asking him to rush to Digfeer hospital
to resolve a quarrel between two individuals, who had been involved in a road
accident.

“I managed to resolve the conflict and we agreed that the accident victim be
compensated for the injuries he sustained, and I decided to rush back home to
attend to other matters,” he explains.

By that time, the afternoon temperatures had sored beyond 33 degrees centigrade
and to avoid the scorching sun, Adan boarded a rickshaw, locally known as Bajaaj, to
take him home but got stuck in the traffic jam as he approached the busy and
crowded Zoobe intersection.

Suddenly, the afternoon calm was disrupted by twin explosions which tore through
people and buildings. The powerful blast swept the rickshaw off the road and into
the air, before it landed on its side, and reduced to smithereens by the impact of the
explosion.

“I saw my left leg break just below my knee when the Bajaaj landed on its side. My
right eye was also injured after I fell on the ground. I could not trace where my driver
was,” recalls the father of 10 children.

He tried to free himself from the mangled wreckage but toxic fumes that engulfed
the area not only blurred his vision but also made breathing difficult.
“My mouth, ears and nose were full of dust particles from collapsed buildings. I was
gasping for air and I felt like it was the end of the world,” he says.

Despite being weak and in pain, Adan refused to give up and managed to free
himself from the wreckage after several attempts. He crawled on the hard surface
evading human body parts strewn on the road.

Adan was saved by a team of rescuers and rushed to Daru Shifa hospital, before
being flown to Turkey the following day for specialised treatment. The 62-year-old
spent three months at Polatli state hospital in the capital city, Ankara, where doctors
managed to fix his broken leg and also operated on his injured eye.

Adan no longer walks or travels long distances due to constant pain on his left leg
and uses a special pair of eyeglasses to improve his sight. His health condition in the
aftermath of the blast impeded his movements, and he can no longer resolve as
many cases as he used to before the explosion.

“My life has drastically changed. I now use a walking stick to support myself and my
income flow is irregular. I can earn today and go home with nothing the following
day,” notes Adan.

The elderly man still experiences flashbacks and has difficulties sleeping at night. He
dreads cold nights - as they aggravate his body pains.

As Somalis mark the first anniversary of the October 14th bomb attack, which killed
over 600-people and maimed tens of others, Adan urges his fellow Somalis to
forgive each other and reconcile for the sake of achieving lasting peace and security.

The bomb blast, one of the deadliest in the country’s history, attracted mass
condemnation from the international community who rallied behind the people of
Somalia.

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), in coordination with the Somali
security forces acted swiftly after the attack, to secure the area and help in recovery
efforts. The AU Mission remains committed to finding a lasting solution to the
indiscriminate use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by anti-government
elements in Somalia, and is working with the Somali government and partners to put
a check on the IED menace.

To date, a lot of progress has been made, with several IEDs recovered and safely
detonated.

END