Smuggling journeys originate from Somali border cities such as Abudwak, Balanbale, Feerfeer and Galdogob.
“Alcohol mostly originates from (Ethiopia’s capital) Addis Ababa and flows into the city of Jigjiga in the Ogaden region,” says Diriye.
The Ogaden, or Somali region as it is officially known in Ethiopia, shares a 1,600 km (990 mi) border with Somalia. People on both sides share ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious ties.
Once loaded, the alcohol is transported across the plains of the Somali region and then smuggled across the border into Somalia.
The border town of Galdogob is a major center for trade and travel and has been hit hard by the influx of smuggled alcohol from Ethiopia.
Tribal elders have raised concerns about alcohol-related violence.
“Alcohol causes a lot of harm, like shootings,” said Sheikh Abdallah Mohammed Ali, head of the town’s local tribal council.
“(It) has been confiscated and destroyed several times, but it’s like living next to a factory. “No matter what we do, we’re putting out more and more.”
“Our village will always be in danger.”
But the smuggler’s goal is to get the alcohol into the capital.
“I drive a truck that transports vegetables, potatoes and other food items. “When I load up my truck, it’s full of everything I’m transporting, but I actually make the most money from alcohol,” says Diriye.
In some cases, smugglers cross into Ethiopia to take the goods, and in other cases, they receive the goods at the border. But no matter what approach you take, the risk of being caught is enormous, so concealment is an important part of the job.
“The loader’s role is the most important. It’s more important than driving. The guy is tasked with hiding the alcohol in the truck along with all our belongings. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to get around so easily. At least not without getting caught.
“A box of alcohol I transport contains an average of 12 bottles. I usually carry 50-70 boxes per trip. “Usually half the load in my truck is filled with alcohol.”
Large areas of south-central Somalia are run by armed groups with little or no government control. Militias, bandits and al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab roam with impunity.
“You can never travel alone. It’s too dangerous. Death is always on our minds,” says Diriye. But such concerns don’t get in the way of business, and there’s a brutal pragmatism to the idea of team building.
“If you are attacked and injured on the road, you must have a support person available to continue your journey. Everyone knows how to drive and knows the roads.”
Smugglers drive on dirt roads and roads that have not been modified in decades. Landmines and unexploded ordnance left over from previous conflicts are also a problem.
“I travel to at least eight to 10 cities to reach Mogadishu. But we are not counting villages, we are counting checkpoints and the people who manage those checkpoints,” says Diriye.
They encounter various clan militias with varying allegiances who stay at a distance or are trapped at roadblocks.
“If we are interrupted by a clan militia, our chances of survival increase if one of us belongs to the same clan as that militia, or even a similar sub-clan. That’s why the three of us are all from different clans.”
