Mogadishu Celebrates One Year Since Ouster of Al-Shabab

Covert U.S. military operations targeting the Al-Qaeda affiliate continue in the country

Thousands of Somalis gathered in a Mogadishu sports stadium Monday to celebrate the one-year mark since African Union and Somali soldiers forced militants out of the capital, a military victory that ushered in a year of relative peace and progress.

The ouster of al-Shabab allowed residents in a war-torn seaside city to live a much more normal life. Sports leagues began. The national theater reopened. New beachside restaurants opened, offering seafood.