In October 2022, Mogadishu was once again struck by tragedy when twin suicide car bombs exploded at Zoobe Junction, killing over 100 people and injuring more than 300. The attack came just weeks after Somalis marked the fifth anniversary of the 2017 Zoobe bombing, the deadliest act of terrorism in Somalia’s history. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud vowed to crush Al-Shabaab, while ordinary citizens expressed their determination to rebuild. Somali resilience is deeply rooted in history — from the anti-colonial Daraawiish resistance to the volunteer-driven ‘iskaa wax u qabso’ projects of the pre-civil war era. Today, that spirit is alive in initiatives like the Gara’ad seaport in Puntland. Built entirely through local business and community investment, Gara’ad stands as Somalia’s first privately owned port and a model of what Somalis can achieve without heavy foreign dependency. These same grassroots-driven values power citizen militias reclaiming territory from Al-Shabaab in Hiiraan, Galgaduud, and Middle Shabelle — achieving more gains in four months than federal and AU forces did in five years.