European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A drugstore own Erin Bairoa displays his Stock much of if Western Medicine imported from Kenya. _ s8. Or Nam ii a Quot streets of Bairoa quieter and safer than Mogadishu by Kevin Dougherty staff writers United nations officials Point to Bairoa As a shining example of what is possible in Somalia. Look beyond the trouble and rubble of Mogadishu they say for Bairoa is the Antithesis. To hear . And some humanitarian officials speak of Bairoa is to hear a sales pitch perhaps an advertising Campaign promoting tourism. The popular Midwest slogan Quot escape to Wisconsin Quot could easily be adapted to Quot escape from Mogadishu. Escape to  visitors who want to see change in Somalia come to Bairoa Quot says John raw Myya of Uganda who directs . Reconstruction efforts in Central Somalia. For westerners a trip to Bairoa is a respite from Mogadishu s mad and violent ways. Most outsiders would t dare walk the streets of Mogadishu without an armed bodyguard. And even then the person s health and welfare Are just a matter of Fate. Bairoa is different. A Westerner can stroll into the heart of Bairoa pass a cop on foot patrol Waik into a shop and enjoy relative Security though anonymity is impossible for anyone with Light coloured skin. While violence and banditry still exist the situation is not severe enough to Recluse the City s Hospital schools and roads. Indeed much has changed in the past year. When . Marines arrived in Bairoa on dec. 16, 1992, the spiritless town was known As Quot the City of death Quot in september of that year an estimated 350 people died daily from famine disease and civil War. Americans a and . Servicemen Peers in particular a Are held in High esteem in Bairoa. People associate their City s turnaround to the arrival of . Marines a year ago this thursday Yusuf Mahamad Ali a police commander in Bairoa talks with great admiration when he Speaks about american troops and How they liberated Bairoa from the grip of death. He plans on Quot making a big festival Quot to commemorate the anniversary. Quot All troops of America they help All the people of Somalia especially Bairoa Quot Ali says through an interpreter. In contrast there have been rumours circulating in Mogadishu of Cash rewards for somalis who kill american soldiers. Troops from other lands and. American civilians command less of a Reward. Twenty four american soldiers have been killed this year in fighting unrelated to any so called Bounty Hunt. A . Troops stationed in Mogadishu routinely take an alternate route whenever they depart or leave the City s. International Airport the Road Heads South from the Airport and loops Back around to the Center of South Mogadishu. The Detour avoids a volatile Section of the somalian capital but adds a half hour and a Trail of dust to a trip that should take less than 10 minutes. Civilians working in aps amps Mogadishu also must take extraordinary measures whenever they leave the protective cocoon of a . Or .-controlled facility. Quot we Don t go anywhere without a bodyguard Quot said an employee of a civilian contracting firm. Guns and bodyguards including some who Are Mere teen agers Are common in Bairoa As Well. As a general Rule humanitarian workers do not leave their walled compounds without a somalian gunman at their Side. Re Albuya May refer to Bairoa As Quot one of the safest areas in the country Quot and Quot one of the first places where government institutions have resumed Quot but danger still lurks. Quot the streets Are empty at night Quot says Ann Morris a health care worker for care cooperative for american Relief everywhere. Quot people Are  Ali the Bairoa police commander assigns 15 officers to work the graveyard shift. The 100 men who make up the Force patrol checkpoints in and around the City As Well As its Hospital orphanage three Wells and roads. Bairoa s population swelled to about 100,000 at the height of the famine. With the crisis Over and herders and Farmers returning to the Bush the City s population has dropped. However the actual figure is unknown in the absence of any census. Ali 49, is exuberant yet dignified As he talks about his City police Force and occupation. He started his Laws amps photos by Vince Crawley police official Yusuf Mahamad Alt claims it is Safe to walk Bairoa s streets at night buyers and Sellers crowd the streets of the Market in downtown Bairoa. Enforcement career 30 years ago and is Quick to remember the Date he became a cop oct 7,1963. A 17-year resident of Bairoa Ali was appointed police commander seven months ago. He is the second ranking police officer in the entire Bairoa Region. The Force somehow manages to function with just 60 guns and two cars. His department he says needs More cars communication equipment and police officers. Speaking of wish lists Ali s office either needs a major overhaul or a wrecking Ball. Streaks of sunlight from a Holey ceiling add some Light to the room s four Dull White Walls. A single Light bulb. Hangs from the Metal roof which has about three dozen Quarter size holes. A window facing the main Street 100 Yards away is boarded shut. The rooms other window is wide open providing a View of the station s courtyard. The floor is Concrete. Aside from a Folio drawer filing Cabinet a wooden Bench for visitors and Ali s desk and chair the room is empty. The decorative surface to Ali s desk has been peeled away and there s a gaping Hole the size of a rotary Telephone toward the front Edge. Ali leans Forward in his chair to answer a question. Does he think his own family members would be Safe walking Home at night he nods affirmatively and proclaims that Bairoa s Quot streets Are very  in All of Somalia he adds it Quot we just need  a a asked what kind of cop he is in terms of style Ali says Quot to u i 11 have to ask the  the people of Bairoa seem to have accepted Ali s a uniformed police Force. Unarmed patrolmen walk their beats primarily the City s main thoroughfares without drawing much  outsider on the other hand is not so fortunate a Gaggle of Young children flocks toward a pair of westerners. A few of their elders Crane their necks to assess the commotion. Several of the youngsters give a thumbs up sign and speak favourably of America while others seem bewildered. A welder does his part to rebuild Somalia. Bairoa s marketplace is bustling especially the stretch where khat is sold. Composed of the shoots and leaves of the Catha Redulis Bush khat is a habit forming stimulant that Many somalis Chew. But there Are other products for Sale in Bairoa. A Small Pouch of laundry detergent Sells for about 15 cents while a five stick pack of cinnamon chewing gum costs less than Nickel. A 6-ounce Container of maalox goes for about $3 and a Short sleeve shirt carrying the Boss logo can be yours for $10.one year has brought us to where we Are which is considerable Progress Quot Row Albuya says. Re Albuya is director of what the United nations Cali it the Central zone of which Bairoa is the Hub. Excluding Northern Somalia which is seeking to become an Independent state the United nations has divided Somalia into five administrative zones. In Bairoa the United nations coordinates its efforts out of a building that was once a summer Villa for former president Siad Barre. Re Albuya has been the direct or of the . Effort in the Bairoa Region since  e lists disarmament and the rehabilitation of the country s infrastructure educational system and Commerce As his primary interest. Raw Mound concedes there is still banditry and blames the lawlessness on the proliferation of guns Quot everybody has an Arm gun Quot re Albuya says. Quot very few people have a Job. What can they do Quot he blames warlord Mohamed Farrah aided for the continued unrest and says the violence in the Countryside does t compare to the bloodshed in Mogadishu that has Given the country a bad name re Albuya says Quot in your country you have government Quot he says. Quot you have a police Force. You have courts. The somalis Are very violent  re Albuya then snaps his fingers. Quot a Small dispute can Lead to loss of  the United nations is operating under what is becoming a tight schedule with the world body preparing to leave Somalia by March 1995. While the country is not yet stable Many of the u. N. Initiatives Are producing results re Albuya says. Two thirds of the children in Bairoa Are Back in school he cites As an example. Quot everything is working but there is one fear that american troops Are leaving Quot re Albuya says in reference to a March 31, 1994, pullout Date. There has also been talk about Germany and Italy picking up the Slack when the United states leaves Somalia he reveals. Except for an army signal battalion at the Airport the United states Long ago pulled out of Bairoa re Albuya warns if americans pull out of Somalia Quot and they Are not replaced by a Strong Force that would not be the end of it. Aided wants to expand his area of  but according to humanitarian officials Bairoa residents would probably support aided after a it was aided s forces that finally drove the last of Barre s a unpopular and violent troops from Bairoa. The future of Bairoa Mogadishu and the rest of Somalia hinges on the next 15 months re Albuya says. Continued stability is the key he adds because outside investors will avoid Somalia if lawlessness sweeps Back into Vogue. Quot without stability very few investors if any would be prepared to risk their Money in this place Quot he says. Quot our life Span in this country is March 1995. Whatever we do in this country will be left behind. It will be  tags dangling from the guns of two teen agers in Bairoa signify icy Are authorized to carry arms to protect humanitarian workers at Leftt John re Albuya directs . Reconstruction efforts in Central Somalia. The stars and stripes wednesday december 15, 1993 the stars and stripes t9