In brief
- Wardheer News reported on 2025-07-08 that President Deni launched a self-funded Galkayo–Harfo road plan, but no evidence shows physical construction started.
- The original 67km African Development Bank and EU-funded project remains stalled over federal oversight, with no agreement reached.
- The reported new plan reduces the road to 40km at a cost of $4 million, but no primary financing records confirm the figures.
On 8 July 2025, Wardheer News reported that President Said Abdullahi Deni had "launched" construction of the Galkayo–Harfo road. The article, titled "Politics Over Progress: The Galkayo–Harfo Road Project and President Deni’s Missed Opportunity", is an opinion piece and provides no evidence that physical construction has begun.
The road, which spans 67 kilometers in the original scheme, was initially part of a major infrastructure initiative funded by the African Development Bank and the European Union, according to Wardheer News. The interstate road project, requested by the Federal Government of Somalia, included multiple roads: Beledweyne to Galkayo (8 km), Galkayo to Harfo (67 km), and Luuq to Doolow (80 km), among others. However, the Puntland government rejected federal oversight and asserted full control over projects in its territory, stalling the project amid political tensions between President Deni and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Wardheer News reported that Puntland authorities had pledged road construction would begin by June 15, 2025, but no agreement has been reached with the federal government to unblock the original donor-funded project. Instead, President Deni announced that Puntland would self-fund the road and held a symbolic stone-laying ceremony on July 3 in Ba’aad Weyn. The new plan reduces the road to 37 kilometers plus 3 kilometers of city streets, 40 kilometers in total, at a cost of $4 million, entirely funded by Puntland taxpayers, according to the Puntland government's announced plan as reported by Wardheer News. The original 67-kilometer road was to be built with $18 million in donor funds, the same report stated.
However, within a day of the stone-laying, the rocks were quietly removed and no visible construction had begun, the article reported. The piece raises concerns about the viability of the self-funding plan, noting that reports emerged that civil servants had not been paid for months, and that engineers were leaving Puntland due to lack of job opportunities, something a Puntland minister recently admitted during a parliamentary session, as reported by Wardheer News.
The article also details political tensions surrounding the project. The Mudug Development Forum, formed after the arrest of five youth leaders, announced a meeting for July 30 to revisit protest demands and assess government accountability. The Mayor of Galkayo warned that no political meetings would be allowed without official permission, as reported by Wardheer News. At the Ba’aad Weyn ceremony, only three traditional elders attended. A Puntland MP interrupted an elder, saying, “Sir, the meeting cannot be held. … It has been organized by Mogadishu,” as reported by Wardheer News. President Deni was present, and no apology followed.
Wardheer News does not provide any updates beyond the stone-laying ceremony. It does not establish that construction has physically started, nor does it provide primary financing records for the original $18 million donor funds or the new $4 million self-funding plan. The article urges reclaiming the African Development Bank-funded road and redirecting the $4 million to health, education, city infrastructure, and salaries, but it offers no evidence that such a change has occurred.
Frequently asked questions
What are the stated reasons for the project's stagnation?
The Puntland government rejected federal oversight, leading to a standoff between Garowe and Mogadishu that stalled the project, according to Wardheer News.
What evidence supports claims of political obstruction?
Wardheer News reported that the Mayor of Galkayo warned no political meetings would be allowed without permission, and a Puntland MP interrupted an elder at the ceremony, saying the July 30 meeting was organized by Mogadishu.
What could be done to revive the project?
Community elders urged President Deni to revisit negotiations with the federal government, and the article argues for reclaiming the African Development Bank-funded road.