Somali ex-child soldier's nightmares: 'It was either killed or be killed'

Yusuf Ali, now 34, struggles with his memories living in Mogadishu surrounded by dark reminders of his past.

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The 34-year-old became embroiled in the Islamist insurgency, which erupted nearly 20 years ago, and while the city's urban landscape is healing, few resources are devoted to those still suffering with the psychological scars of the conflict.

Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsetting.

When he was 14 years old, a coalition of Sharia courts seized power in Somalia and provided some sense of stability in a country that had been riven by devastating clan warfare since the regime of President Siad Barre collapsed in 1991.

But the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) marked the first instance of political Islam gaining a foothold in the African continent since al-Qaeda's 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.