mogadishu, somalia

a one legged boy stands with his crutches and watches american soldiers patrol along the green line, which was a heavily contested area during the civil war. in the 1980s a civil war erupted in somalia when warlord factions joined together to overthrow then president siad barre, who finally lost power in 1991. since then power struggles between warlords have ravaged the country with famine and violence. US and international troops entered somalia to provide aid and presence as part of “operation restore hope” in december of 1992.