# Somaliland RDA launches roads reform initiative at UoH

> On 13 May 2018, Somaliland Sun reported the RDA launched a roads reform initiative. No budget, road names or post-2018 outcomes were established.

- 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: Infrastructure and Services
- Tags: roads, procurement, project-management
- Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/somaliland-rda-roads-reform-launch-2018

## Key points

- On 13 May 2018, Somaliland Sun reported the Roads Development Authority launched an upscaling and reform initiative to be implemented with the University of Hargeisa and other civil society organisations.
- RDA Director Osman Sheikh Abdi Sheikh Mohamed said the initiative aimed to reform roads development approaches, ensure research-led programmes and upscale ongoing projects, according to Somaliland Sun's report.
- The report does not establish a budget, the roads covered, any signed RDA-UoH document, or what was implemented after the launch.

On 13 May 2018, Somaliland Sun reported that the Somaliland Roads Development Authority (RDA) had launched an upscaling and reform initiative. According to the report, the initiative was to be implemented by RDA with the collaboration of the University of Hargeisa (UoH) and other civil society organisations.

The launch event was held at the University of Hargeisa and drew high-level government officials, the report said, including Minister of Transport and Roads Development Abdillahi Abokor Osman. Minister Abdillahi Abokor officially launched the programme, according to Somaliland Sun.

## What the RDA said the initiative would do

Director of the Roads Development Authority Osman Sheikh Abdi Sheikh Mohamed said the initiative aimed to make reforms in roads development approaches, ensure programmes were led by research, and upscale implementation of ongoing projects, Somaliland Sun reported. He said coordination mechanisms among stakeholders involved in roads and related infrastructure would be strengthened.

The Director said the RDA initiatives were in line with the President's vision and the wider national development plan of the country, according to Somaliland Sun's report, which does not name that plan document or cite it. He urged diaspora associations, private sector actors and civil society organisations to take part in the development and maintenance of Somaliland's key roads, according to the report.

## University and civil society roles

Prof. Mohamed Yousuf, President of the University of Hargeisa, said UoH would provide support in research and contribute to technical aspects of projects that RDA implements, per Somaliland Sun. Abdiaziz Hersi Warsame of Somaliland Y-PEER claimed that Y-PEER was already a partner of RDA and was willing to take part in the new endeavour, according to Somaliland Sun. That partnership claim is his, as reported.

Minister Abdillahi Abokor said the government had gathered to listen, consult and work on developing Somaliland roads, which he described as vital for wider economic growth, Somaliland Sun reported. He thanked leaders of community-based roads associations who, he said, on their own initiative began constructing new roads, adding that the government stood ready to give them any support they needed. The Minister also relayed a message from President Muse Bihi encouraging all government institutions to utilise research and development units of Somaliland universities, according to Somaliland Sun.

> **Note:** The Somaliland Sun report gives no budget, funding amount or financing source for the initiative. It names no roads within its scope and does not state how many.

## What the 2018 report does not establish

The report does not state a contract value, a budget or any source of financing. It does not name the roads or the number of roads covered. It records no signed document, legal text or memorandum for the RDA and University of Hargeisa collaboration, and no defined terms for it. It does not identify the ongoing projects the Director referred to.

It also does not establish what happened after 13 May 2018. There is no evidence in the report that the initiative was implemented, that roads were built or upgraded as a result, or that any of the stated reforms were carried out. Y-PEER's stated partnership and the community-based associations' construction work are claims attributed to those speakers, not verified facts. The launch itself is the only event the report establishes.

## Questions

### What specific reforms did the RDA announce in May 2018?

According to Somaliland Sun's 13 May 2018 report, RDA Director Osman Sheikh Abdi Sheikh Mohamed said the initiative aimed to reform roads development approaches, ensure programmes were led by research, upscale implementation of ongoing projects, and strengthen coordination mechanisms among roads stakeholders.

### Which roads were prioritised under the initiative?

The report does not say. It names no roads and gives no number or scope. Nor does it state a budget or funding source.

### What has happened since the launch?

The Somaliland Sun report of 13 May 2018 does not establish any activity after the launch. It records no implementation, no construction and no signed RDA-University of Hargeisa document.

## Sources

- [Somaliland:RDA launches roads development up scaling and reform initiatives](https://somalilandsun.com/somalilandrda-launches-roads-development-up-scaling-and-reform-initiatives/) — Somaliland Sun, 2018-05-13