In brief
- Somaliland Sun reported on 2013-05-13 that tarmacking of the Salahley-Hargeisa road was soon to be completed.
- Presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali laid the foundation for the remaining 5 kms stretch, and the report says the contracting firm immediately began works.
- The report does not establish what has happened to the road since 2013-05-13.
Contents
On 13 May 2013, Somaliland Sun reported that tarmacking of the road connecting Salahley town and Hargeisa was “soon to be completed.” The article, bylined Hasan O Horri, is the only record in this report of the project's status, and nothing in it establishes what has happened to the road since that date.
According to Somaliland Sun, Presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali laid the foundation for the remaining 5 kms of the Salahley-Hargeisa road, and the contracting firm immediately embarked on works upon the minister laying the groundwork. The report does not name the contractor, does not give a contract value or award record, and does not state what the remaining works involved.
The same article reported that the first phase of the 60 kms Salahley-Hargeisa road tarmacking project was launched by President Silanyo when he commissioned use of a 20 kms macadamized section in November 2012 at Salahley town. That 60 kms figure is the stated project length, not an as-built or fully financed total.
Funding and contributors
Somaliland Sun attributed to President Silanyo a statement terming the project, jointly funded by residents, state and affluent citizens, one of the noblest in the country. The report lists other contributors alongside the government and residents:
- Telesom, which Somaliland Sun says donated $30,000.
- Al-nuur furniture company, which it says contributed 50 barrels of Tar.
- Omar Aideed, a Djibouti-Somalilander business tycoon whose donation Somaliland Sun describes as machinery worth 1.4 million USD.
These are stated donations as reported in 2013. The article does not present them as audited expenditure or as a government budget line, and no total project cost is given.
Community intent and road condition
Somaliland Sun attributed to Salahley roads construction committee member Ali Ibrahim Mohamed an account that the local community had facilitated the tarmacking of 20 Kms of the Salahley-Hargeisa road and intended to see the entire 60 Kms stretch similarly refurbished. That is a statement of intent. The report does not say the community rehabilitated or refurbished the full 60 kms.
The same committee member's account, as reported, held that the road was originally constructed by the Italians during the second world war, and that damage related to soil erosion made the journey to Hargeisa lengthy and tiresome for commuters. No primary record is cited for the Italian origin and no engineering assessment is cited for the erosion account.
Separately, Somaliland Sun reported that the presidency minister commissioned the tarmacking of a final 5 kms stretch upon officially opening a completed 3 kms section, en-route from Borama in Awdal region. Those 5 kms and 3 kms figures belong to that unnamed Awdal region road, not to the Salahley road.
The foundation-laying function, according to the report, was witnessed by senior government officials, political and traditional leaders as well as residents of Salahley district. None of those witnesses are named in the article.
What the report does not establish
The 2013-05-13 report does not establish what has happened to the Salahley-Hargeisa road after that date. It gives no completion date, no inspection evidence, no post-2013 status and no primary record for the contractor's works. The road was described as soon to be completed in 2013; whether it was completed then, or at any later point, is not established by this report.
Frequently asked questions
What was the status of the Salahley-Hargeisa road in May 2013?
Somaliland Sun reported on 2013-05-13 that tarmacking was “soon to be completed,” and that Presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali had laid the foundation for the remaining 5 kms stretch, after which the report says the contracting firm immediately embarked on works.
Who funded the Salahley-Hargeisa road project?
Somaliland Sun reported on 2013-05-13 that the project was jointly funded by residents, state and affluent citizens, and listed Telesom ($30,000 donation), Al-nuur furniture company (50 barrels of Tar) and Omar Aideed (machinery stated at 1.4 million USD) as other contributors alongside the government and residents. No audited expenditure or total project cost is given.
Has the Salahley-Hargeisa road been completed since 2013?
The 2013-05-13 report does not establish what has happened to the road after that date, and it gives no completion date or inspection evidence.