In brief
- On 28 January 2023, Somaliland Standard reported that a delegation led by planning minister Hon. Ahmed Adam Buhaane toured a water installation project on the western side of Borama town, accompanied by the Danish envoy to Somalia/Somaliland and top officials from the Somaliland Development Fund.
- The Awdal governor, Mohamed Ahmed Aalin (Timbaro), said at the site that the project would be completed in March, with no year stated, according to the report; that is an official statement, not documented completion.
- The report does not state a project cost, contract value, funder contribution, contractor or implementing agency, and does not establish the project's status after 2023-01-28.
On 28 January 2023, Somaliland Standard reported that a delegation led by the minister of planning and national development, Hon. Ahmed Adam Buhaane, toured a water installation project in Borama town. The report states the project site is on the western part of Borama town, in the Awdal region.
According to the same report, the planning minister was accompanied by the Danish envoy to Somalia/Somaliland and top officials from the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF). Top regional government officials also attended the site visit, Somaliland Standard reported.
What was said at the site
Speaking to the press at the site, Awdal governor Mohamed Ahmed Aalin (Timbaro) said the water project was long overdue and thanked donor countries for supporting Somaliland development programmes, according to Somaliland Standard. The governor also confirmed the project would be completed in March, the report states. No year is attached to that statement. It is the governor's confirmation as reported by Somaliland Standard, not documented completion of the works.
Somaliland Standard reported that the Danish ambassador, named in the article as H.E. Sun Anderson, spoke of his country's bilateral relationship with Somaliland and said global warming has affected sources of water in Somaliland. The name appears as published in the report and is not corroborated elsewhere in the document provided.
The minister of planning, referred to in the article's later paragraphs as Hon. Ahmed Buhane, told journalists at the venue that the government was steadfast in ensuring water was available to all people of the Awdal region, and added that technical issues had been resolved to ensure water supply reaches every corner of the region, according to Somaliland Standard. Those are official statements. The report does not present them as evidence that supply has reached those areas.
What the report does not establish
It also records no procurement method, tender or contract signature, no project scope such as pipeline length or reservoir capacity, no number of connections, and no start date for works. The headline describes the event as an inspection by the Minister of Planning and the Danish Ambassador, but the report does not present it as an inspection finding on the project's condition, cost or performance.
Most materially for readers tracking the project: the report does not establish what has happened since 2023-01-28. Whether the works were completed, are ongoing, stalled or handed over is not stated.
Frequently asked questions
What did the 2023-01-28 Borama water report establish?
According to Somaliland Standard's report of that date, a delegation led by planning minister Hon. Ahmed Adam Buhaane toured a water installation project on the western part of Borama town, accompanied by the Danish envoy to Somalia/Somaliland and top officials from the Somaliland Development Fund, with top regional government officials also attending.
Did the report say when the project would be finished?
Somaliland Standard reported that Awdal governor Mohamed Ahmed Aalin (Timbaro) confirmed the project would be completed in March. No year is given, and the statement is the governor's confirmation as reported, not documented completion.
What has happened to the project since 2023-01-28?
Not established by the provided document. It contains no evidence of the project's status after the site visit, and no cost, contract value, funder contribution, contractor or implementing agency is stated.