Mogadishu (AFP)

The inhabitants of Mogadishu were to reconnect with the world of cinema on Wednesday evening with the first screening of films in 30 years, a cultural event organized under high security in the Somali capital plagued by insecurity.

The history of the Somali National Theater, donated by Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1967 and which hosts the event on the occasion of its reopening, bears witness to the tumultuous decades this unstable country in the Horn of Africa has experienced.

The place has seen suicide bombings and served as a base for warlords.

"This is going to be a historic night for Somalis," said director Abdikadir Abdi Yusuf, stressing that his establishment now aims to be a place of expression for local artists.

On Wednesday evening, Somali films will be screened there for the first time: two short films by director IBrahim CM, "Hoos" and "Date from Hell".

The entrance ticket will be around 8.50 euros - a steep price for many Mogadishu residents.

If the capital had many cinemas in its golden age, all their doors were closed with the outbreak of the civil war in 1991.

Fallen into disuse, the national theater reopened in 2012, but it was destroyed two weeks later by the shebab, an Islamist militia linked to Al-Qaeda which regularly carries out attacks in the capital.

A spectator in the hall of the national theater in Mogadishu, September 22, 2021 Abdirahman YUSUF AFP

After a careful restoration, its reopening reminds many of happier times.

"In the good old days I used to come to see concerts, dramas, pop shows, folk dances and movies at the national theater, it makes me sad when I see Mogadishu without the nightlife that it is. there was before, "says Osman Yusuf Osman, a movie buff.

"But it's a good start (...) I will not miss this historic event tonight," he told AFP, adding that he plans to go there with a friend.

Conversely, others are more circumspect, even worried about the security of the site.

This is the case of Hakimo Mohamed, mother of six children, who frequented the place when she was a child.

Mogadishu National Theater, September 22, 2021 Abdirahman YUSUF AFP

“People would go out at night and stay until late if they wanted - but now I don't think it's very safe,” she said.

The shebab were ousted from Mogadishu ten years ago but they still control large rural areas.

The organizers are still hoping for a large turnout, as participants will have to pass several security checks before reaching the theater, located in a highly secure area of ​​the city, where the presidential palace and parliament are located.

© 2021 AFP