Later in 2006 Ethiopian forces swept into the country ousting the ICU and restored the former government which had been in exile in Kenya. Despite this there is little effective government in Somalia and while the city has been the scene of rebuilding since 2011, it has continued to be a battle zone with hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants being displaced. The current travel advice is that, "Mogadishu remains extremely dangerous, with violent crime and terror attacks at dangerous levels."

Should you find yourself in Mogadishu, possibly awaiting a flight home after being kidnapped, a trip to the beach, originally made for Italian colonialists, is a must if only to escape the heat. There you can mingle (and possibly be kidnapped again) by the many thousands who congregate next to the warm Indian waters enjoying its beachfront resorts. Bakara Market is also worth a look and recommended by one traveler if only on the grounds, "I didn't get stabbed" and The Black Hawk Down Crash Site museum is a major attraction for American visitors. Also worth a look are the Governor's House, the Union Mosque, Mogadishu Cathedral (built by the Italians during the colonial period) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument with so many unknowns it's not even known what battle he died in. or she. Or when. Possibly, if at all. Just saying.