Waheen rebuild promise rests on landowner plans

On 22 October 2022, Goobjoog News reported that a national committee would distribute 45% of construction funds for the Waheen market in Hargeisa after landowners completed their plans. The report said private investors and the government were working together through a technical committee to rebuild and reopen the market as soon as possible.

According to the Minister of Religious Endowment, Sh. Abdirisaq Hussein Albani, and Hargeisa mayor Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge, plans were near completion. Minister Albani directed landowners to have their construction plans completed by October 22. He said owners of four sections or blocks in burnt areas had not yet processed their plans. The national committee would distribute 45% of the construction funds after the plans were completed. He told landowners who had not submitted proposals to do so immediately.

Mayor Mooge pushed for immediate construction and for the market to open as soon as possible. Goobjoog News reported the government was determined to reopen the market and resume normal operations.

The fire on April 1, 2022, resulted in losses of up to $2 billion, according to Goobjoog News. At least 28 people were injured. The market, described as the largest in Somaliland and one of the biggest in the Horn of Africa, was a daily gathering place for hundreds and a crucial source of income for Hargeisa residents.

The Goobjoog report does not state the total amount of construction funds, their currency or source. It does not name the national committee. It does not say whether any funds were distributed after the 45% promise or whether construction began. No completion date or reopening date is given.