Somali hotel rises again following al Shabaab bombing
An ex-minister in Somalia whose hotel was damaged in a bomb attack by the Islamist group al Shabaab says he's rebuilding and expanding, within an unusual present of organization confidence in a country where violence is a daily challenge.
The automobile bomb in August blew out the windows of the beachfront Elite Hotel in Mogadishu and partially destroyed its perimeter wall. Attackers in that case stormed the building, setting off grenades and capturing their way through bedrooms and staircases. "I have to spend money on reconstruction. To avoid reconstruction for concern with what you can do in future methods to give up business," resort owner and ex - finance minister Mohamed Abdullahi Nur, 38, advised Reuters.
Al Shabaab, which is allied with al Qaeda, has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than a decade. The group really wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law. The militants contain frequently targeted resorts, restaurants and cafes in Mogadishu, which will be patronized by the political and security elite.
Nur told Reuters he previously spent thousands of dollars on reconstructing and mending the hotel that cost him $2 million to build. Only a month after the strike, well-heeled customers were back in the five-story hotel, savoring seafood and cappuccino, and taking in views of the ocean while beachgoers swam and speedboats cruised by. Nur plans to include another 120 deluxe rooms at a price of $8 million dollars."I am alive and healthy, I am determined to reinvest and reconstruct whether or not it might be bombed again," he said.
