In brief
- On 2020-06-13 Somaliland Sun reported the receipt of 7,690 barrels of bitumen for the Burao-Erigavo road.
- Eng Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed, head of the Somaliland Road Agency, said the road is about completed and roughly 60 km remains un-tarmacked.
- The report does not establish what has happened to the road or the bitumen since 2020-06-13.
- No contract value, unit price, currency, grade or weight is given for the 7,690 barrels.
On 13 June 2020, Somaliland Sun reported that 7,690 barrels of bitumen had been received for the remaining 60 km of the Burao-Erigavo road. The report states the government bought it from Omar Company, which handed it over at its Berbera depot.
Eng Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed, the head of the Somaliland Road Agency, said the Burao-Erigavo road is about completed and has just about 60 km still un-tarmacked, according to the same report. He said the remainder of the bitumen, once the Erigavo road is completed, will be used for construction of the Burao-Hargeisa road. Ali Ibrahim Baqhdadi, the central bank governor, said the remainder of the tar after the Erigavo road is completed would be used on the Burao-Hargeisa road.
What the report does not establish
The 2020-06-13 report does not say which government entity made the purchase; it refers only to "the government". It does not give the purchase date, the procurement process or contract terms. Somaliland Sun reported the quantity in barrels, but no weight, grade, unit price, currency or total value is stated. The source uses "tar" and "bitumen" interchangeably, so the report does not establish a technical specification.
It also does not give a baseline total length for the Burao-Erigavo road. The report does not state whether the 60 km remaining has since been completed, or when. It does not establish that any of the 7,690 barrels has been laid, or that any of the remainder has been used on the Burao-Hargeisa road. The statement about the Burao-Hargeisa road is a future intention attributed to Eng Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed and Ali Ibrahim Baqhdadi; the report does not say those works have started or are funded.
Status and next decisions
As of the report, the road is described as about completed, with roughly 60 km un-tarmacked, and the material on hand is intended for that remaining section. The report does not state a target completion date for the Burao-Erigavo road, or a contractor, budget or timeline for the Burao-Hargeisa road works.
Events after 2020-06-13 are not covered by the report. What has happened since, on the Burao-Erigavo road and to the bitumen stock, is not established by Somaliland Sun's account.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current status of the Burao-Erigavo road?
Somaliland Sun reported on 2020-06-13 that Eng Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed, head of the Somaliland Road Agency, said the road is about completed and roughly 60 km remains un-tarmacked. The report does not establish its status after that date.
Who supplied the bitumen?
Somaliland Sun reported that the government bought the bitumen from Omar Company, which handed it over at its Berbera depot. The report does not say which government entity made the purchase.
What is the expected completion date or contract value?
The report does not give a target completion date for the Burao-Erigavo road, and it states no contract value, unit price, currency, grade or weight for the 7,690 barrels.