Soltelco 2014 Report on Hargeisa Roads and Erigavo–Burao Tarmacking

On 10 February 2014, Somaliland Sun reported that the Hargeisa municipal council stated it was maintaining the Hargeisa central road from Haleya to Bura Kalajehan, described in the report as the split mountain. The claim is the council's, as carried by Somaliland Sun on that date.

The same report quoted the mayor of Hargeisa, Mr. Abdirahman Mahmud (Soltelco), saying residents have to pay tax because, in his words as reported, "the more you tax is more we maintain the roads." He added that the council depends on residents' tax for development. Those are the mayor's stated positions, reported by Somaliland Sun; the report does not show that tax revenue was allocated to or spent on road maintenance.

Somaliland Sun also reported that the road between Erigavo and Burao "will soon start for tarmacking." That is a forward-looking statement carried in the 2014 report, not evidence that tarmacking started. Separately, the report said the government was redoubling its effort for road maintenance in the country, a claim attributed to the same report.

What the 2014 report does not establish matters as much as what it says. It gives no cost, contract value, budget or expenditure for the Haleya to Bura Kalajehan maintenance or for any other road work. It names no contractor, consultant or funder. It gives no road length, no start date and no completion date. For the Erigavo to Burao tarmacking it gives no start date, budget, procuring authority or contractor. For the claimed Berbera to Hargeisa and Hargeisa to Gabiley maintenance, it gives no date, scope or evidence of works performed.

The report is dated 10 February 2014 and remains the sole source for these statements. It does not establish what has happened since on any of these roads, nor whether the announced maintenance or tarmacking was carried out. Any current assessment of these routes needs evidence that the 2014 report does not provide.