In brief
- Goobjoog News reported on 18 February 2019 that Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre laid a foundation stone for a new road construction project.
- The report described roads from Mogadishu to Afgoye and Jowhar, but did not establish progress since the ceremony.
- The Turkish company, contract value, cost, timeline, and any Qatari investment amount remain unspecified in the available record.
On 18 February 2019, Goobjoog News reported that Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre laid a foundation stone for a new road construction project. The report described a project to build roads from Mogadishu to Afgoye, in South West State, and from Mogadishu to Jowhar, in HirShabelle. It said the federal government of Somalia and a Turkish company that acquired the construction of the roads had signed an agreement.
Hirshabelle state president Mohamed Abdi Waare and South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed attended the signing ceremony in Mogadishu, according to the report. Officials from the government of Qatar were reported to be investing in construction of the roads in Mogadishu, Afgooye and Jowhar, in Banadir and the two Shabelle regions.
Goobjoog News did not name the Turkish company, nor did it give a contract value, scope, duration, road length, lane configuration, design standard or total cost. The report did not specify any amount of Qatari investment or the terms of any financing agreement. It did not state whether construction had started beyond the foundation stone ceremony, and it gave no completion date or timeline.
Since the 2019 report, no further evidence in the available record confirms that the roads were built, that construction is underway, or that funds have been disbursed. The report stands as a record of an announced project and a ceremony, not of delivered infrastructure.
Frequently asked questions
What roads were announced in the 18 February 2019 report?
According to Goobjoog News, the project was to build roads from Mogadishu to Afgoye and from Mogadishu to Jowhar.
Who was reported as investing in the roads?
The report stated that officials from the government of Qatar were investing in the construction of these roads, but it gave no investment amount or financing details.
Has construction started on the Mogadishu–Jowhar–Afgoye roads?
The Goobjoog News report from 18 February 2019 does not establish that construction started. It only describes a foundation stone ceremony and a signing agreement.