# DP World construction manager shot dead in Somalia

> Global Construction Review reported on 4 February 2019 that Paul Formosa, a construction manager at Bossasso port…

- By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about)
- Published: 30 September 2026
- Format: News story (reported from one named public source)
- Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com)
- Subject: Business and Costs
- Place: Somalia
- Tags: construction-safety, somalia
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/dp-world-construction-manager-shot-dead-somalia

## Key points

- On 4 February 2019, Global Construction Review reported that Paul Formosa, 52, a Maltese national and construction manager at Bossasso port, was shot dead in an attack claimed by al-Shabaab.
- Formosa was employed by P&O Ports, a subsidiary of DP World, on a scheme to develop the port in Puntland state, northeast Somalia.
- Conflicting accounts place the killing either inside the port or at a fish market, and the report does not establish what has happened since the assassination.

On 4 February 2019, Global Construction Review reported that a construction manager working on a port project in Bossasso, Somalia, was shot dead in an attack claimed by Islamist group al-Shabaab. The report does not establish what has happened since.

The victim was Paul Formosa, 52, a Maltese national. Global Construction Review stated that Formosa was employed by UAE port operator DP World on a scheme to develop the port in northeast Somalia's Puntland state. The report clarified that Formosa was manager at Bossasso for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based DP World.

Mohamed Dahir, an official at the port, told Agence France-Presse that an armed man shot and killed Paul Anthony Formosa, the construction project manager for DP World. Dahir said Formosa was killed inside the port and security forces shot the killer on the spot. However, later reports suggested there had been two gunmen, both disguised as fishermen, who shot Formosa at a fish market as he was traveling to the port. A witness, Abdukadir Weheliye, said he heard several shots coming from inside the port and then saw the body of a white man being taken away in an ambulance.

Global Construction Review reported that DP World paid $336m to take over the port on a 30-year concession in 2017. The currency is stated as $336m but not explicitly identified as USD. The report does not state the total project cost or the breakdown of the $336m payment.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Formosa had been in the position since August 2017. Abdiasis Abu Musab, a spokesman for al-Shabaab, said: "We had warned him but he turned deaf ear. He was illegally in Somalia."

The report does not include confirmation from DP World or P&O Ports regarding Formosa's employment and role. The exact location of the killing remains unclear due to conflicting reports, and the number of attackers is disputed. Global Construction Review's report does not provide information about what has happened since the assassination, such as project status, investigations, or security changes.

## Questions

### Who was Paul Formosa?

Paul Formosa was a 52-year-old Maltese national and construction manager at Bossasso port for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of DP World, according to Global Construction Review.

### What project was Paul Formosa working on?

Formosa was working on a scheme to develop the port in Bossasso, Puntland state, northeast Somalia, under a 30-year concession taken over by DP World in 2017.

### How might this affect construction operations in the region?

The report does not provide information on any changes to project status, investigations, or security measures following the assassination.

## Sources

- [DP World construction manager assassinated in Somalia](https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/dp-world-construction-manager-somalia-assassinated/) — Global Construction Review, 2019-02-04