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Somalia's national theatre reopens in Mogadishu | Somalia's national theatre reopens in Mogadishu |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Somalia's national theatre has reopened in Mogadishu, more than 20 years after it last shut its doors. | Somalia's national theatre has reopened in Mogadishu, more than 20 years after it last shut its doors. |
The event was marked with the showing of a local play, traditional music and comedy performances for an audience of around 1,000 people. | The event was marked with the showing of a local play, traditional music and comedy performances for an audience of around 1,000 people. |
The theatre closed in the early 1990s as Somalia descended into civil war and the capital became a no-go area. | The theatre closed in the early 1990s as Somalia descended into civil war and the capital became a no-go area. |
The UN-backed government is trying to re-establish control of the city after al-Shabab's Islamists were forced out. | The UN-backed government is trying to re-establish control of the city after al-Shabab's Islamists were forced out. |
The al-Qaeda-linked group banned all forms of public entertainment, such as the theatre. | The al-Qaeda-linked group banned all forms of public entertainment, such as the theatre. |
'Beauty of Somalia' | 'Beauty of Somalia' |
Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, director of a Somali think tank, said the theatre's history reflected that of Somalis. | Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, director of a Somali think tank, said the theatre's history reflected that of Somalis. |
Mr Abdulle, who was one of the driving forces behind the opening of the theatre, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme: "The theatre was absolutely devastated daily and that really mirrored the life of Somalis. | Mr Abdulle, who was one of the driving forces behind the opening of the theatre, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme: "The theatre was absolutely devastated daily and that really mirrored the life of Somalis. |
"We all killed each other enough - life has to move on, 21 years [of war] is enough," he said. | "We all killed each other enough - life has to move on, 21 years [of war] is enough," he said. |
"People are saying if we can rebuild the theatre, we can rebuild our lives." | "People are saying if we can rebuild the theatre, we can rebuild our lives." |
The opening shows at the Somali National Theatre will address issues of peace and reconciliation and look at what happened to the country over the last two decades. | The opening shows at the Somali National Theatre will address issues of peace and reconciliation and look at what happened to the country over the last two decades. |
In a sign of how far the country still has to go to achieve lasting peace, around six people died when a mortar shell fired by al-Shabab fell on a refugee camp in Mogadishu on Sunday night just a few hundreds metres (yards) from the theatre. | In a sign of how far the country still has to go to achieve lasting peace, around six people died when a mortar shell fired by al-Shabab fell on a refugee camp in Mogadishu on Sunday night just a few hundreds metres (yards) from the theatre. |
"People are brave enough to show up and enjoy themselves, despite the attacks yesterday, and that is the beauty of Somalia," Mr Abdulle said. | "People are brave enough to show up and enjoy themselves, despite the attacks yesterday, and that is the beauty of Somalia," Mr Abdulle said. |
Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has assured performers that the national theatre is an important part of attempts to revive the country's institutions and will remain fully functioning. |
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