Original subtitles

This week on Vice: inside North Korea.

I'm having a complete sensory overload.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry or be scared.

SMITH: And then, Somali refugees

return to rebuild their nation.

GIANNA TOBONI: This street here is regularly bombed,

but it turns out there's a juice shop open.

You guys got good vibes in here.

We have generations that have seen nothing but war.

What we need now is human investment.

YEUNG: Go, go, go!

REFUGEE: We are not animals!

Vice has been covering North Korea for years,

and the country's relationship with the United States

has never been as unpredictable

and as dangerous as it is right now.

The North is testing evermore sophisticated ballistic missiles

that might soon be able to reach American soil.

And the US has threatened military intervention if provoked.

NEWSWOMAN: The Trump administration is a new sheriff in town.

North Korea is a problem. The problem will be taken care of.

As North Korea celebrated its founder's birthday this year,

Vice and a few other news organizations

were invited to Pyongyang

to witness a military display

reminiscent of a Stalinist May Day parade,

a show of force that experts have warned

could trigger a global nuclear war.

Charlet Duboc: We arrived in Pyongyang as part of a press delegation

invited by the government.

We were told only that we were about to witness

a series of very important announcements.

Outside of here, the world's talking about North Korea

and what's going on here in big, high-stakes terms.

So I was expecting slightly more of a tense vibe,

but it's definitely nowhere to be seen yet.

No fancy missiles or marches yet.

We've been told that these thousands of people

are all just regular Pyongyang citizens.

What's most noticeable to me is

the kind of palpable, subdued,

quiet of everything.

DUBOC: The eerie tranquility stood in sharp contrast

to the hysteria that was gripping the news media everywhere else.

NEWSWOMAN: Commercial satellite imagery

shows activity at the test site northeast of Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported

that foreign journalists visiting North Korea

have been told to prepare for a, quote,

"big and important event" today.

DUBOC: As North Korean citizens themselves

were completely isolated from these reports,

we awaited a mysterious announcement

from a very special surprise guest.

DUBOC: In a perfect example of the disconnect

between North Korea and the rest of the world,

this supposed nuclear announcement

is actually the unveiling of a new plaza.

This would set the tone for our stay.

Any visit here means, at times, subjecting yourself

to the same information bubble

that North Koreans inhabit.

NEWSMAN: We begin with new concerns that North Korea

could test-fire a nuclear weapon any day now.

NEWSMAN 2: Japan today claiming that North Korea

may be capable of delivering missiles

equipped with sarin nerve gas.

DUBOC: And while we were out here at a street opening,

the US was sending a very powerful message to Pyongyang.

At around 7:00 p.m. local time

in Afghanistan last night,

the United States military

used a GBU-43 weapon in Afghanistan.

I wonder if maybe the message on this MOAB

was, "Happy birthday, North Korea."

DUBOC: While the world news talked of nuclear war,

our government minders took us

to something rather less threatening.

This trip to the Children's Palace

would be the first stop on a sightseeing schedule

which is the staple of any visit to North Korea.

A carefully curated PR tour

designed to give an impression of stability and prosperity

in a place on the brink of war.

While the outside media speculated about

the supreme leader's march to war,

the international news teams here

were treated to an elaborate musical recital

with dancing penguins, dry ice,

and a giant backdrop of ballistic missiles.

DUBOC: As other foreign guests

danced with North Korean children,

the message became clear:

North Koreans are not only unaffected

by these external threats,

but wanted to show us that their society

and military were thriving.

At the Pyongyang Flower Festival,

we would see a unique mix

of nationalism and nuclear pride.

This is an exhibition center of flowers.

Namely, two types of flower,

which are named after

the founding father of the DPRK and his son.

They are called the Kimilsungia,

and the Kimjongilia.

What's the significance of the rocket?

Flowers and rockets.

That one's a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

DUBOC: Yeah, yeah.

DUBOC: While the outside world

pondered the regime's next steps...

While speculation has been growing

that North Korea may be ready to carry out its sixth nuclear test...

DUBOC: ... we were ushered through a manufactured utopia

which included a zoo, natural history museum,

and a high-end hair salon, offering slight variations

of one government-approved haircut.

It's like a less-extreme version of the supreme leader's.

DUBOC: As families swam and we sipped lattes at a bar,

we had no idea what was actually happening

in the rest of the world.

Or as we found out later,

what might be about to happen here.

We are sending an armada.

A very powerful armada is on its way to Korea.

NEWSMAN: North Korea's getting ready for another nuclear test,

but it could really happen any day now, right?

DUBOC: In the event that nuclear test does go ahead here,

the speculation is that the US would respond

with some kind of tactical strike

with the aim of knocking out

some of North Korea's nuclear capabilities,

which potentially could lead

to the most serious military escalation

between the two nations, in modern times.

As talk mounted of the two countries

potentially coming to blows,

our minders took us to a metro station,

which is where citizens are instructed to go

in the event of a nuclear attack.

This is one of the deepest metros in the world.

It goes 150 meters underground,

and apparently doubles as a bomb shelter.

This allowed us a rare chance

to reach behind the iron curtain

which surrounds North Korea,

and communicate directly with its citizens.

Is this an exciting week in Pyongyang?

This week there's also escalating tensions internationally,

especially between DPRK and America.

Are the effects of that felt here?

Is it making any difference to the celebrations?

Duboc:This sums up America's relationship with North Korea.

Each sees the other as an unrelenting adversary,

since both countries have limited access

to the other's point of view.

The bottom line is

North Korea's got to change its behavior.

DUBOC: And as the West's hard-lined rhetoric ramped up,

throughout the night, we could see

the mass mobilization of military vehicles,

preparing for their annual show of force.

The Day of the Sun celebration commemorates the birthday

of North Korea's eternal president, Kim Il-sung.

It also gives them the opportunity

to broadcast their strength over the airwaves

with a public military parade.

So, I'm having a complete sensory overload.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry

or be scared or entertained.

Duboc: Like Stalin's Soviet marches,

the parade was a jaw-dropping display

of highly choreographed military might.

And much like those May Day parades of the past,

this show of force was aimed directly at the US

I believe we're watching the first display

of North Korea's first-ever ICBMs

that are capable of reaching America.

As the senior politician just claimed in his speech,

they will launch if provoked.

DUBOC: The North's claims to have this capability

are disputed by experts.

But there is no doubting the nationalist fervor

that unveiling missiles helps incite.

The parade kicked off a dramatic escalation.

The following day, the North conducted a failed,

though very real, missile test.

... following North Korea's show of force,

failing in spectacular fashion.

DUBOC: Then, US Vice President Mike Pence

made a surprise visit to the demilitarized zone

between North and South Korea.

We stand with the people of South Korea,

um, and all options are on the table.

DUBOC: And since then,

amidst increasingly bellicose rhetoric

on President Trump's Twitter feed,

yet more missile tests.

While the Western media was quick to pounce on their launch failures,

only a short time later,

they successfully tested a missile

that experts believe could strike the US.

Concrete proof that their technology

is years ahead of expectations,

has triggered an even stronger reaction

from the Trump administration.

DONALD TRUMP: As far as North Korea is concerned,

I have some pretty severe things

that we're thinking about.

Make no mistake,

North Korea's launch of an ICBM

is a clear and sharp military escalation.

DUBOC: We had witnessed firsthand

how echo chambers, without direct dialogue,

can help beat the drum to war.

We will defeat any attack,

and we will meet any use

of conventional or nuclear weapons

with an overwhelming and effective response.

DUBOC: The question now

is how far are both sides willing to go

before a war of words

becomes something much more dangerous?

By most definitions, Somalia is a failed state.

It's been ravaged by famine, civil war,

and become a base for piracy.

Most recently, it's seen horrendous violence

by the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

More than two million Somalis have fled

because of those factors,

including 150,000 who came to the US.

But today, many of these émigrés

are starting to return to Somalia

to try to fix their country for good.

GIANNA TOBONI: Somalia hasn't had a functioning government

in more than 25 years.

They've been plagued by decades of civil war

and widespread terrorism.

Billions of dollars of international support hasn't worked.

But today, there's a new source of hope:

the Somali diaspora.

Thousands of Somali Westerners are returning.

Unlike foreigners, they have an inherent commitment to this country,

and their Western education and work experience

is unparalleled in the region.

We traveled to Southern Somalia,

devastated by severe drought,

where Somali-Canadian doctor, Hodan Ali,

is overseeing a medical assessment and aid delivery.

HODAN ALI: We have a shipment brought by UNICEF,

and they have brought supplies

to deal with the acute outbreak

of watery diarrhea.

TOBONI: Because the town is completely surrounded by Al-Shabaab,

all aid has to be flown in.

This is the community treatment center

for, um, acute watery diarrhea,

one of two facilities in the entire region.

HODAN ALI: We left Somalia pre-civil war.

I have been blessed and privileged

to have lived the life that I've lived,

because we're talking about a society

that has not had formal education,

formal institutions, for over 25 years.

We have generations that have seen nothing but war.

What we need now is investment,

human investment, human resources,

because we cannot depend on international interventions.

Who... who is going to do it,

if people like myself don't do it?

Somalia's still a dangerous place.

There were several explosions just in the last few days.

Why leave a comfortable, safe life in Canada?

HODAN ALI: Somalia is definitely a dangerous place,

but I don't look at the danger.

I look at the potential and the need

that the country has.

TOBONI: After filming for just over an hour,

local Intel came in that Al-Shabaab,

known for targeting and executing Westerners,

wasn't far away.

Apparently Al-Shabaab got word that we're here,

and that aid just came into the town,

so we got to get out of here.

TOBONI: While Dr. Hodan's work in the most desperate parts

of Somalia has been crucial,

back in Mogadishu,

she's attempting to build Somalia's health care system

from the ground up.

Dr. Hodan just opened this beautiful health center.

It's definitely an upgrade.

The facility really is a facility

for first... um, primary care services.

Preventative care,

chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension,

which is really, really on the rise here.

See, this bed here is a maternity bed,

but if you go to your average clinic or hospital,

women don't have this type of bed.

The number one killer of Somali women

is postpartum hemorrhage.

A woman is about to go into labor,

they pray for her, for her return.

Because they know that's the deadliest thing she could do.

Absolutely.

Now we're gonna go upstairs.

We have our quick inpatient facility here

for folks who need immediate rehydration.

Every room has a sink,

and we will be putting antiseptic soaps

and all the means to make sure that people are cleaning their hands.

So, that seems pretty standard.

- You know, basic sanitation. - Yes.

- How rare is it here? - Very rare.

People who have come here have said, "You know, this is different."

And that's the idea. It needs to be different.

Not different that it is crazy, out-of-this-world.

It's just basic services that I would be providing

in... in Hamilton, Ontario, right?

Because at the end of the day,

it's... it's a place that anything you do...

makes a difference.

TOBONI: But for a country with a bloody history, like Somalia,

the first pillar to restoring the country

is providing security.

We joined the Somali National Army

and AMISOM, the African peacekeeping force,

widely credited with stabilizing the country,

as they visited a recently opened school.

COL. MOHAMED: Twenty-five years of anarchy,

we're not going to have it solved overnight,

but with our partners from Africa,

the AMISOM, we've tried our best,

and I think you can see the results.

Did you live in the UK? Yes.

I hear that accent. You're a diaspora, huh?

- Yes. - Wow. Why did you return?

To serve my country.

TOBONI: Before AMISOM took over

for the dysfunctional Somali National Army in 2007,

Al-Shabaab controlled most of Mogadishu

and much of the country.

Today, they're much weaker

and rely on one-off attacks.

During the Battle of Mogadishu in 2011,

AMISOM and the SNA fought with Al-Shabaab

for control over a significant national landmark,

the Mogadishu football stadium.

So, Al-Shabaab used to control

this whole stadium, this whole area,

and it was a big win for AMISOM

when they took it back.

COL. MOHAMED: The UPDF forces were the first contingent to come.

The UPDF were also, at the time,

at a placed called Uruba.

That's the Uruba Hotel.

So, you now control all of this and way beyond?

We are beyond this.

If Somalia was a no-go zone,

uh, a few years back,

today it's open, it's a normal country,

and slowly we are progressing.

The last ten years

have been years of progress for this country.

TOBONI: The businesses and construction

popping up throughout the city

were encouraging signs of the country rebuilding.

One very busy, unexpected storefront caught our eye.

This street here is regularly bombed,

but it turns out there is a juice shop open.

This is some of the most extreme gentrification I've ever seen.

- Welcome. - I like your sunglasses.

- All right. Thank you. - You guys got good vibes in here.

DAHIR ADANI: Where I came from, the US,

where this kind of shop actually was very popular.

Maybe I should try something like that,

and immediately it became a hit.

About 300 or 400 customers

visit this store every day.

- Wow. - Yeah.

We know there's electronic shops that actually do good.

There's a lot of travel agencies.

There's also a fashion shop here called "Cadaani."

They want change, and that's actually

what we want to try to show off to Mogadishu people,

that this is also a relatively safe city

where you can do business.

Toboni: "Safety" is still a relative term here in Mogadishu,

but the returning diaspora

that is fueling much of the economic growth here

are determined to succeed.

Like Ahmed Jama, who returned from the UK

to open the Village Restaurant,

a popular spot among Somali Westerners.

Ahmed's restaurants have been attacked several times

by suicide bombers, active shooters,

and vehicle-borne IEDs.

But each time, he's reopened.

How do you stay safe when you're running restaurants like this?

Right.

How's it going?

Why is it important to open restaurants in a city like Mogadishu?

Yeah.

TOBONI: One of the most pressing needs

in a country decimated by decades of civil war

is infrastructure.

We met up with a Somali-American engineer

who offered to show us his new project,

a million-dollar investment.

Gianna. Nice to meet you. (SPEAKING ENGLISH)

Good! This does not look like the rest of Mogadishu.

It feels like California.

You have butterflies in your garden.

Sell me one of these apartments. Tell me why I should move here.

Sure.

Very nice.

So much natural light.

How many bedrooms, you said?

Wow, look at this.

You got the balcony and everything.

So, I gotta say, on this side, it's amazing. You can see the ocean.

But the foreground is all bombed-out buildings.

Yeah.

We asked Osman if financial opportunity

has factored into his decision to move back.

Do you think you'd be making the same amount of money?

Oh, so you don't pay taxes?

TOBONI: Diaspora are building up,

and now for the first time in more than 25 years,

they're creating a functioning government.

In February, the parliament elected

a Somali-American as president,

in a historic vote.

We visited Villa Somalia,

their version of the White House,

as the president announced the 26 new ministers.

Sir? Hello, I'm Gianna.

Uh, national security. Congratulations.

Can I ask, are you a diaspora?

You are. From where?

- My name is Abdi. - Abdi?

Which... what were you just appointed?

Okay. Congratulations.

Can I ask, are you a diaspora?

- The United States? - I lived in Washington.

Eighty percent of the ministers

appointed here are diaspora

and their presence is giving people hope.

But this shift toward Westernization

triggered Al-Shabaab's string of attacks soon after.

About an hour after we left Villa Somalia,

a bomb exploded at the front gates,

killing several people,

and many more went off in the capital while we were there.

In what was meant to be an attack against Al-Shabaab,

one of the ministers we met, Abas Abdullahi Sheikh,

was shot and killed by security forces

shortly after we left the country.

But despite these attacks,

the diaspora have become a formidable force

pushing back against extremism.

Part of what has fueled Al-Shabaab,

which translates to "the youth" in Arabic,

is their ability to win the hearts and minds of young people.

Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre

is an organization that rehabilitates radicalized children,

aiming to end the cycle of violence.

Ilwad Elman is a 27-year-old Somali-Canadian

who left her safe life in Ottawa

to deradicalize Al-Shabaab child soldiers.

These safe houses, these are for children

that are still under threat.

Children that have been forcibly recruited into Al-Shabaab,

managed to escape,

were then put into detention for being forcibly recruited into Al-Shabaab,

and then used by government security forces as informants.

But we believe that children can become children again

if they are taken out of these militarized contexts.

TOBONI: Mm-hmm.

And I've seen that hundreds of times over again.

TOBONI: Ilwad does extremely dangerous work

and is the boldest example of diaspora coming back.

In fact, her father paid with his life

for doing the same type of work.

So, my dad and my mom were both...

ardent human rights activists.

And... when the war started to escalate,

my mom and dad made a decision that she would leave

with me and my sisters, and my dad would stay behind.

I went back, just to understand what the context was like,

and as soon as I did, one month turned to three months,

turned to one year, and now I'm here for seven years.

ILWAD ELMAN: In order to rebuild,

there needs to be an investment

in the young people.

By investing in young people,

we will not have...

hundreds of people taking on

the Mediterranean Sea every single year,

trying to think that the only way

for a good life is outside of Somalia.

I want to show them the opportunities that are here.

And it just starts with actually giving someone hope.