Somalis escape to the beach and a new floating restaurant

SUMMARY

Few restaurateurs consider the threat of piracy in their plans but Abdulkadir Mohamed did so for his La Lanterna floating restaurant now moored off Mogadishu's popular Lido beach."We made it slow," he explained, so pirates would not see it as a prize vessel to seize and use in any of their attacks. Pirates were once the scourge of the region, chasing oil tankers and other ships and demanding ransoms for those they captured. But as Somalia has regained a semblance of stability after almost three decades of conflict and chaos, piracy has faded, even if sporadic bombings still strike the capital. A modicum of calm means Somalis are seeking out more leisure activities outside their homes, and the Lido beach, with its bleach white sand, is drawing the crowds. With extra security and checkpoints to protect the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) stretch of sand from possible Islamist attacks, the beach offers a place to escape from the battle-scarred capital.

By ReutersJun 5, 2019 11:08:53 AM IST (Updated)

A waiter works onboard the luxury La Lanterna Bar restaurant boat, sailing in the Indian Ocean near Lido beach in Mogadishu, Somalia. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

The boat sails in the Indian Ocean near Lido beach in Mogadishu, Somalia. Few restaurateurs consider the threat of piracy in their plans but Abdulkadir Mohamed did so for his La Lanterna floating restaurant now moored off Mogadishu's popular Lido beach. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

Passengers sit on the upper deck onboard the luxury La Lanterna Bar restaurant boat, sailing in the Indian Ocean near Lido beach in Mogadishu. Pirates were once the scourge of the region, chasing oil tankers and other ships and demanding ransoms for those they captured. But as Somalia has regained a semblance of stability after almost three decades. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

The luxury La Lanterna Bar restaurant boat, sails in the Indian Ocean near Lido beach in Mogadishu. A modicum of calm means Somalis are seeking out more leisure activities outside their homes, and the Lido beach, with its bleach white sand, is drawing the crowds. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

Young boy walks along the seashore on the Lido beach in Mogadishu. With extra security and checkpoints to protect the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) stretch of sand from possible Islamist attacks, the beach offers a place to escape from the battle-scarred capital. REUTERS/Feisal Omar