In brief
- Goobjoog News reported on 2016-03-09 that the first batch of construction equipment for the El Dahir-Erigavo road had reached Bossaso, Puntland's main commercial capital.
- The report does not establish who is building the road, what it costs, who is paying, or what has happened on the project since.
On 9 March 2016, Goobjoog News reported that the first batch of construction equipment for the El Dahir-Erigavo road had reached Bossaso, Puntland's main commercial capital. According to the report, the shipment consisted of heavy vehicles, lorries and other construction equipment, and the boatload docked at Bossaso seaport on Saturday, a specific calendar date the report does not give.
Speaking to the press, the Eldahir-Erigavo road construction commission hailed the arrival of the equipment, according to Goobjoog News. The same report carries the commission's plan for the works: the commission said, according to Goobjoog News, that construction of the road connecting Bossaso, the Bari provincial capital, to Erigavo, the Sanaag provincial capital, will commence in early April, with a final assessment scheduled to conclude in March. That is an announced plan, not a verified start of work.
The report places the project under the "Puntland Ha-Isku Tashato" (Puntland Should Depend on Itself) Initiative, which it says was introduced by President of Puntland Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas. Under that initiative, Goobjoog News reported, the road is expected to serve as the longest rural road built by the government of Puntland. Goobjoog News also reported that the road's construction extends approximately more than 150 km, an imprecise figure the report does not break down.
What the report does not establish matters as much as what it records. It names no contractor or construction firm. It gives no total project cost or contract value, and no source of funding, whether government budget, donor or private. It does not detail the types or quantities of equipment in the first batch, and it names no spokesperson or official from the commission or the Puntland government.
Above all, the report is dated 2016-03-09. Nothing in it establishes whether construction started after that date, whether it progressed, or whether it stalled or finished. The equipment arrival shows a shipment reached the port; it does not prove the works proceeded on schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What equipment arrived for the Eldahir-Erigavo road?
According to Goobjoog News on 2016-03-09, the first batch consisted of heavy vehicles, lorries and other construction equipment. The report does not detail the types or quantities.
When was road construction to start?
The Eldahir-Erigavo road construction commission said, according to Goobjoog News, that construction would commence in early April, with a final assessment scheduled to conclude in March. No evidence shows whether that plan was carried out.
Who is paying for the road and how much will it cost?
The report does not state a total project cost or contract value, and it does not identify the source of funding. It also names no contractor.