In brief
- On 22 June 2020, Somaliland Standard reported that President Musa Bihi Abdi launched new projects at the ministry of roads and transport in Hargeisa and said the projects would favour unfinished roads and work toward 9000 KM of road.
- The report gives no cost, budget, funding source, contractor or timeline, and it does not establish whether any road has been surveyed, contracted, started or completed since.
- Bihi, as quoted by Somaliland Standard, said the government and the public should cooperate and not wait for foreign assistance, and urged the public to invest in development instead of drugs including Khat.
On 22 June 2020, Somaliland Standard reported that Somaliland president Musa Bihi Abdi had launched new projects at the ministry of roads and transport in Hargeisa on the Monday of that week. That single report is the only account of the event in the record.
According to Somaliland Standard, the projects will prioritize upgrading road safety and maintaining high standards. The same report says the projects will favour the realization of unfinished roads in the country as well as the completion of 9000 KM of road.
What the report does not establish is what has happened to that plan since. There is no status update after 2020-06-22 on whether any road was surveyed, contracted, started or finished. It also does not say whether the 9000 km figure is a target, a plan, an existing network total or a cumulative programme.
What the report does not state
The gaps matter to anyone reading the announcement as a pipeline signal.
- No cost, budget or funding source for the announced projects is given.
- No contractor, consultant, designer or implementing agency is named.
- No time frame, start date, phasing or completion date for the 9000 km target is given.
- No route, corridor, region or length per segment is given.
- No tender, procurement or contract record is referenced.
- No named official beyond President Bihi appears; no ministry spokesperson or engineer is quoted.
The record also holds no independent or official confirmation of the Monday launch beyond the Somaliland Standard report itself. The report is an account of an announcement, not confirmation that any road work was contracted or begun.
What the president said, as reported
Somaliland Standard reported that Bihi said the government and the public should cooperate for the development of the country and should not wait for foreign assistance.
Somaliland Standard quoted him saying: "The main question is can we build new roads for ourselves or not? The answer is very clear. Yes, We can. We are a society that if it brings all its energy together, it can do something better."
The report also states that he urged the public to invest more in the country's development instead of spending their wealth on drugs including Khat.
What happens next
The announcement carries no procurement route the reader can follow. There is no tender notice, no award, no implementing agency and no schedule attached to the 9000 km figure in the available record. Until a contract or construction record appears, the plan remains an announcement by the president as reported on 2020-06-22.
Frequently asked questions
What specific road projects did the president announce?
Somaliland Standard reported on 2020-06-22 that President Musa Bihi Abdi launched new projects at the ministry of roads and transport in Hargeisa on Monday, and that the projects will prioritize upgrading road safety and maintaining high standards, favouring unfinished roads and working toward 9000 KM of road. The report does not name the roads, regions or segments involved.
What is the budget and timeline for these projects?
The report gives no cost, budget or funding source for the announced projects, and no time frame, start date, phasing or completion date for the 9000 km target.
Have any of these projects started or been completed?
The available record does not establish that. There is no status update after the 2020-06-22 announcement on whether any road was surveyed, contracted, started or finished.