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In brief
- The February 2025 Barwaaqo aide-memoire states that funds for eight water sites are ring-fenced for Sool and Sanaag, treated as Agreed Areas in the financing agreement.
- The federal government will contract third-party implementers there because administrative responsibility is not clear, according to the same source.
- The Bank gave in-principle clearance to a proposed implementer, and modalities were still being clarified after the mission.
Contents
The World Bank recorded in a February 2025 aide-memoire that funds for eight water sites in Sool and Sanaag have been ring-fenced, and that the Federal Government of Somalia will contract third-party implementers in those regions. The aide-memoire covers the Barwaaqo project implementation support mission held in Nairobi from 17 to 20 February 2025, with the federal government on 17 and 18 February and the Somaliland government on 19 and 20 February.
What the source records
According to the aide-memoire, Sool and Sanaag are defined as "Agreed Areas" in the Financing Agreement, because administrative responsibility there is not clear. It states that the Project Appraisal Document provides for the federal government to contract third-party implementers in those regions, and that funds for a total of eight sites have been ring-fenced from project budgets. It also records that the National Project Coordination Unit asked the Bank before the mission to clear a proposed third-party implementer, and that the Bank gave in-principle clearance. See the World Bank aide-memoire.
What it means on site
The mechanism is a split of roles: financing stays with the project, while construction is carried out by a contracted party rather than by the Somaliland Project Implementation Unit. For a reader tracking work in the area, the ring-fenced sites are the ones to follow through procurement notices and contract awards, not through the implementing unit's own pipeline. Confirm who holds the contract before mobilising equipment or ordering materials, and ask to see the site list attached to that contract.
What the source does not establish
The aide-memoire is a snapshot as of February 2025, and it says the modalities were still being discussed between the federal coordination unit and the Somaliland implementation unit, with further clarifications sought by the Bank after the mission. In-principle clearance is not an awarded contract, and ring-fenced funds are not completed water points. The record does not state where the eight sites are, what design each uses, or when work starts. A signed contract or a procurement award notice would show the present position.
What to do next
Ask the federal project coordination unit for the list of the eight ring-fenced Sool and Sanaag sites, the name of the cleared implementer and the current status of its contract. Ask the Somaliland implementation unit which regional and district offices are being kept informed on those sites.
Frequently asked questions
Does the aide-memoire say the eight Sool and Sanaag sites are built?
No. It records that funds for eight sites are ring-fenced and that a proposed third-party implementer received in-principle clearance, which is a step before a contract and construction.
Who implements Barwaaqo activities in Sool and Sanaag?
The aide-memoire states that the federal government will contract third-party implementers in the Agreed Areas, while modalities with the Somaliland implementation unit were still being discussed as of February 2025.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Somaliland and Puntland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.