In brief
- Somaliland Sun reported on 2014-01-02 that two ministers handed over responsibility to oversee completion of the Hargeisa–Berbera highway upgrading to the Hargeisa Municipal Council.
- Mayor Abdirahman Mohamud Aideed took over the responsibilities because a portion of the road passes through the city, according to the report.
- The report does not establish what was subsequently built, funded or completed, and gives no contract value, timeline or technical scope.
On 2 January 2014, Somaliland Sun reported that the Minister of the Presidency, Hirsi Ali Hassan, accompanied by the Minister of Interior, Ali Mohammed Waran'ade, handed over responsibility to oversee completion of the upgrading and reconstruction of the Hargeisa–Berbera highway to the Hargeisa Municipal Council. The report, bylined G.A Maher and datelined Hargeisa, said the handover took place at a roadside venue at the point where the city's boundary starts.
According to the same report, City Mayor Abdirahman Mohamud Aideed took over the responsibilities because a portion of the road passes through the city. Somaliland Sun's account is the only source in the record for the handover, and it cites no documentary instrument behind it.
What the ministers said
Interior Minister Waran'ade thanked President Ahmed Mohammed Mohamud (Silanyo) and Minister Hirsi Ali Hassan for spearheading construction of the road, the minister said, as reported by Somaliland Sun. The same minister described the road as linking the eastern region of Somaliland to the rest of the country and bringing revenue to the government, a characterisation attributed to him in the report.
Minister Hirsi thanked the president for the opportunity to work on what he called a national building issue. He said it would alleviate the suffering of motorists using the road that links the port city of Berbera to the capital, according to the minister as reported by Somaliland Sun.
What the report does not establish
The report does not establish what has happened on the ground since. It gives no contract value, budget or expenditure, and it names no contractor, consultant, funder or financier. It does not state the length of the road, its specifications or the scope of the upgrading and reconstruction it refers to. It gives no completion date, target date or timeline.
The handover itself is not evidence of construction activity or delivery, and the report describes no works as started or completed. Nor does it cite an order, agreement or gazette recording the transfer of responsibility.
The only accountable claim in this story is that the transfer of oversight responsibility was reported by Somaliland Sun on 2 January 2014. Whether the council used those responsibilities, and what became of the highway programme, is not established by the evidence available here. No follow-up reporting on the road's status is included.
Frequently asked questions
Which stretch of the Hargeisa–Berbera highway did the council take over?
Somaliland Sun reported that Mayor Abdirahman Mohamud Aideed took over responsibilities because a portion of the road passes through the city. The report does not specify the length or the technical scope.
What is the budget or contract value for the highway works?
The report gives no contract value, budget or expenditure, and names no contractor, consultant or funder.
When will construction begin or finish?
The report states no start date, no completion date, no target date and no timeline.