# Puntland Self-Funds Road After AfDB Aid Blocked by Mogadishu

> The Somali Digest reported on 3 July 2025 that Puntland will finance the 40km Bacaadweyne-Galkayo road with its own revenue after federal obstruction.

- 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
- Tags: procurement, project-management, roads
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/puntland-self-funds-road-afdb-blocked

## Key points

- On 3 July 2025, The Somali Digest reported that President Deni inaugurated construction of the 40km Bacaadweyne-Galkayo road.
- The report says the road will be financed entirely by Puntland's own revenues after federal obstruction killed the AfDB partnership.
- No primary source has confirmed the inauguration, budget, or any construction progress since that date.

On 3 July 2025, The Somali Digest reported that Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni inaugurated construction of the Bacaadweyne-Galkayo road, a 40-kilometer route. According to the publication, the project will be financed entirely through Puntland's own revenues after what it describes as federal obstruction killed the African Development Bank (AfDB) partnership.

The report states that the AfDB had approved funding for the Galkayo-Harfo road as part of its Somalia Road Infrastructure Programme. The Somali Digest says the route was recognised as critical for connecting pastoral communities to markets, facilitating humanitarian access, and spurring economic growth. Yet, according to the article, the project languished for three years in Mogadishu's bureaucratic processes.

The Somali Digest attributes the blockage to the Federal Government, writing that its obstruction caused the loss of the AfDB partnership. It frames the delay as an example of negative-sum thinking that prioritised federal control over regional development.

The report does not establish what has happened since the inauguration. It provides no budget figure, allocation document, or financing agreement for Puntland's self-funding. No AfDB document confirms the funding was formally withdrawn. No federal government statement or document regarding the blockage is cited. The report also leaves unclear the relationship between the Bacaadweyne-Galkayo road and the Galkayo-Harfo road named in the AfDB programme.

Additionally, the publication notes Puntland's security operations in the Al-Miskad mountains against Al-Shabab and ISIS, and the Federal Government's troop deployment to Ras Kamboni. These are presented as context for Puntland's decision to proceed without federal support.

SCR has not independently verified the inauguration, the funding source, or any construction progress. No primary source from the Puntland government or the AfDB has confirmed the claims in The Somali Digest report.

## Questions

### What road project is Puntland funding internally?

The Bacaadweyne-Galkayo road, a 40-kilometer route, according to The Somali Digest report of 3 July 2025.

### Why did Mogadishu block AfDB aid for the project?

The Somali Digest reports that federal obstruction killed the AfDB partnership, but no federal government statement or document is cited in the report.

### What are the alternative funding sources and how will the project proceed?

The report says the road will be financed entirely through Puntland's own revenues, but provides no budget figure or financing agreement.

## Sources

- [Puntland Funds Road After Mogadishu Blocks AfDB Aid](https://thesomalidigest.com/puntland-funds-road-after-mogadishu-blocks-afdb-aid/) — The Somali Digest, 2025-07-03