GIVE ME SECURITY....:

Mogadishu's miracle: peace in the world's most lawless city: After 16 years of chaos, the warlords have left and the capital's streets are quiet (Xan Rice, June 26, 2006, The Guardian)

Mohamed Abdullahi no longer shoves his mobile phone down his trousers when leaving the house. Abdulaziz Mohamed has dismissed the armed men that used to guard his stationery shop. Farh Dir enjoys a restaurant dinner with a childhood friend - the first time he has been out at night in years.

"What has happened in Mogadishu is a miracle," said Abdi Haji Gobdon, the 62-year-old director of Voice of Peace radio in the Somali capital. "We are still trying to take it all in."

Three weeks ago, the last of Mogadishu's warlords were chased from the city by a combination of Islamist militia firepower and what people here describe as a "societal uprising".

After 16 years of chaos, the world's most lawless city suddenly has a taste of peace and security. Almost overnight, the atmosphere has changed from one of fear and despair to euphoria and even cautious optimism about the future.

"Everybody is happy," said Ahmed Mohamed, a spectacled 41-year-old businessman. "We are only a short time into this revolution, but we all hope this could be the start of a new life."