The sprawling Bakara Market in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, stood for years as a symbol of the government's weakness. VOA's Peter Heinlein visited the market as it lay in ruins days after African Union troops reclaimed it last August. Seven months later, he went back to see the difference.
Somalia's Bakara Market, Seven Months On
The bustling streets of Bakara Market, Mogadishu, Somalia, April 29, 2012. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
Truckloads of goods arrive at Bakara Market from the nearby port. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
Crowds of shoppers mingle with construction workers on the main street of Bakara Market. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
Traffic jams are common again in Bakara Market following its capture by African Union troops. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
An African Union armored personnel carrier (APC) rolls down the busy main street of Bakara Market. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
A worker brings his own shovel to Bakara Market to participate in the cleanup operation in progress. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
High-rise buildings damaged in the African Union offensive are being restored as Bakara Market returns to normal. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
Streets of Bakara Market were empty except for security guards and a few goats on August, 15, 2011, shortly after the end of the AU offensive that drove al-Shabab out of the market. (P. Heinlein/VOA)
Deserted streets in Bakara Market on August 15, 2011. (P. Heinlein/VOA)