Berbera Corridor Committee Chairperson Resigns

On 12 July 2020, Somaliland Sun reported that the chairperson of the Committee to Manage the UAE Funded Berbera Corridor Project had resigned, less than a month after the committee was established. The publication stated that the resignation was accepted by Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, who appointed another committee member, Eng. Isse Yusuf Mohamed ‘Xamari’, as replacement.

Somaliland Sun said no statement had been issued by either party on the reasons for the resignation. Geeska sources, as reported by the publication, indicated that the speed of the replacement reflected acknowledgement of mutual consensus on the outgoing chairman's exit. The report did not independently verify that claim.

The six-member committee was established through a presidential decree, according to Somaliland Sun. President Bihi, while announcing the committee, said the move was in line with arrangements agreed with the UAE. He cited a letter from the joint Somaliland UAE development fund, ref ADFD-DG-585-2020 dated 18 May 2020, as guiding the establishment. The president also said the committee would receive professional support from experts already in place.

The Berbera corridor is set to connect the Somaliland port to landlocked Ethiopia, according to Somaliland Sun. The publication reported that the project started 'a couple of years back' but gave no further detail.

The report does not establish the exact dates of the committee's establishment or the resignation, nor does it confirm any developments after the replacement. The reasons for the resignation remain unreported, and no source has publicly verified President Bihi's statements.