In brief
- On July 17, 2012, Somaliland Sun reported that Somali community members in Sweden donated $8,000 for the Hargeisa-Burao highway.
- The money was handed to the Toghdeer development committee-TDC, which was handling the road construction at the time.
- The report does not establish what happened to the donation or the road project after that date.
On 17 July 2012, Somaliland Sun reported that Somali community members in Sweden had donated $8,000 for the completion of the ongoing construction of the Hargeisa-Burao highway, also referred to as the Burao-Hargeisa road.
The report stated the money was handed over to the Toghdeer development committee-TDC, which was handling the construction of the road. No contractual role, appointment or formal status for the committee was given.
Osman Hussein Abikar, representing the diaspora community members, said community members in Malmo, Sweden, who are natives of Togder region, raised the money through members' contributions. He added that they are committed to supporting public services in their home region, including provision of health services, education and construction of roads. The area regional governor Abdow Ahmed Ayir thanked the donors for their generosity and continuous support in improving infrastructure in the region.
The report does not state a project value, contract value or total cost for the highway. No funder, contractor, consultant or start and completion dates are given. The headline uses "Rehabilitation" while the body text says "construction"; the source does not reconcile the two. Spelling of the region also varies between "Togder" and "Toghdeer".
No subsequent reporting establishes what happened to the $8,000 donation, the TDC's role or the road project after July 2012. The fundraising in Malmo and the donation itself are not independently confirmed in the report.
Frequently asked questions
Who donated the $8,000 for the Burao-Hargeisa road?
Somali community members in Sweden, specifically from Malmo, who are natives of the Togder region, according to Osman Hussein Abikar as reported by Somaliland Sun on July 17, 2012.
Who received the $8,000 donation?
The money was handed over to the Toghdeer development committee-TDC, which was handling the construction of the road, according to the Somaliland Sun report.
Is the road construction completed?
The report only states that construction was ongoing as of July 2012. There is no information about completion or what happened after that date.