The exact number has never been confirmed. It could be 500. It could be 1,000. What is certain is that the number of people who died on 14 October 2017 when a car bomb exploded during rush hour at Zoobe junction, a busy thoroughfare in Mogadishu, is staggering.
On the first anniversary last October, thousands circled the junction. Political and religious leaders spoke at the ceremony; the crowds sang the national anthem, booed and hissed when al-Shabaab – the militant group responsible for the bombing – was mentioned in speeches, and they cheered fervently for the Prime Minister.
