By Dr. Kato Damiano Abooki
ABSTRACT
This paper examines Uganda-Somalia relations through “coffee table diplomacy” – the use of dialogue to heal post-conflict societies. Drawing on fieldwork in Mogadishu during AMISOM in 2015/2016 and a return visit in 2023, it traces the journey from _Black Hawk Down 1993_ and the symbolic “Mogadishu’s Titanic” to peacekeeping, reconstruction, and hope. It argues that memory must be honored, but the future must be built through dialogue, trade, and education.
- INTRODUCTION: AT THE TOP OF THE OCEAN
“I was at the top of the ocean near Haramuud, Hobyo. I saw the salt, white, and nature clean. The water was clear and the land was strong. That is the Somalia the world does not see on TV.”
Field Notes, 2015
My first arrival in Mogadishu was during AMISOM. The city carried scars, but also dignity. At the port stood a vessel locals called “Titanic” – a ship left behind after the 1994-1995 withdrawal. It was not just metal. It was memory.
- HISTORICAL CONTEXT: FROM AID TO AMISOM
– 1993: Battle of Mogadishu. General Aidid. Black Hawk Down. US/UN withdrawal left behind equipment, including the vessel.
– 1994-1995: Locals named it “Titanic”. A symbol of abandonment, later a symbol of endurance.
– 2007-2023: African Union Mission in Somalia. Uganda’s UPDF became the backbone of peacekeeping. Roads opened. Schools reopened.
- METHODOLOGY
This paper is based on:
- Direct observation at Mogadishu Port 2015/2016 and 2023
- Community dialogue with elders, traders, and students
- Documentation of symbolic sites including the “Titanic” wreck
- FINDINGS: FACE TO FACE WITH REALITY
2015/2016 – Security and Humanity
“In 2015/2016 I came face to face with Al-Shabaab suspects. It was not in a book. It was real. Eye to eye. In that moment I understood why dialogue must come before despair. Guns end lives. Coffee tables build nations.”_
Field Notes, 2016
The city was fragile, but markets were open. Ugandan soldiers shared tea with local elders. That was diplomacy.
2023 – Reconstruction and Return
“When I returned in 2023, the same ocean was there. The same salt. But now there were also trucks, students, and traders. The war had not erased nature. The people had not lost hope.”
Field Notes, 2023
The port had cranes. Ugandan coffee was on shelves. IUEA students were discussing exchange programs. “Titanic” was still there, but children now played beside it without fear.
- COFFEE TABLE DIPLOMACY: THE MODEL
Coffee table diplomacy means:
- Sit first, shoot never – Dialogue before force
- Honor memory – Black Hawk Down and Titanic are not forgotten, they are lessons
- Build together – Trade, education, and AU partnership
Uganda and Somalia show that neighbors can choose conversation over confrontation.
- CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
- Institutionalize Uganda-Somalia dialogue forums at IUEA and AU
- Invest in Mogadishu Port reconstruction and joint trade
- Teach the “Titanic to Togetherness” story in schools as a lesson in resilience
REFERENCES & APPENDICES
Includes timeline, photos of Haramuud coast, Mogadishu Port, and “Titanic” vessel. AU, IUEA.
About Author;
Dr. Kato Damiano Abooki is a retired UPDF senior officer and an academician
(Fieldwork: Mogadishu 2015/2016 & 2023)
