December 12, 2007
On October 25, 2007, under a clear azure sky and a comfortable weather, a group of people gathered at Reys Hotel in Borama. They consisted of prominent traditional, religious, and business leaders, the governor and the mayor,women,and intellectuals.
The issue that brought them together was the Dila-Borama road, a 20-mile stretch of roadway that is the unpaved portion of the heavily used 78-mile long Hargeisa-Borama road. Ever since the Hargeisa- Dila portion was paved, the unfinished part has been a constant concern to the residents of Awdal region. Lately it became clear to the local inhabitants and the overseas community as well that the time of waiting for the government to take care of this road had passed and unless the people of the region take the matter into their own hands, this road will remain unpaved. Thus the gathering at the hotel was the culmination of a sentiment that had been building up for sometime.
The participants of the meeting resolved to work towards the realization of paving the Dila-Borama road. On prior occasions, attempts were made to palliate the pain caused by the unpaved road by applying band-aid over the long festering wound (cara tool or grading) only to see the problem come back the following season with vengeance. So the local leaders decided to once and for all strive towards paving, the standard method used to construct roadways. The modus operands of achieving the goal will be to raise funds from business organizations, the Diaspora communities and the central government in Hargeisa, and once this initial step is successful and a good amount of money is on hand, then to seek matching funds from potential donors.
It was heartening to see the whole community coming together to discuss and reach a decision on an issue of general concern to everybody in an era when inhabitants are known to be sharply divided into factions struggling for power.
A committee was established at the meeting. Named Awdal Road Network Association (ARNA), it is headed by Abdi Mohamoud Muse and Abdulkadir Adan Nur as chairman and vice-chairman respectively. The two are respected leaders of business organizations, one manager of the modern Reys Hotel and the other manager of the regional office of the telecommunication Company, TELESOM. Since the association was formed, TELSOM donated $10,000 to the road effort; the employees of the company declared they would donate unspecified amounts from their wages to the cause and from the Diaspora front the Minneapolis community has each pledged $1000.
But beyond this, one and half months after the association was born, little is known about whether rules regulating its officers and the affairs of the association were, or are being, formulated. One rule it should adopt is independence from political interference. ARNA should be barred from falling under the influence of Awdal politicians of all jurisdictions whether at the national, regional or district levels. Its credibility and the faith of the local and overseas people will have will depend on its being completely insulated from political influence. Even its standing in the eyes of international grantors will be enhanced by it being a professional entity dedicated solely to the construction of the road.
The moment one of the factions vying for political power is found to be exerting influence on the association, supporters of the opposing factions will abandon the ship. As a result it will be reduced to sectional entity; it’s funding sources and support base will shrink and it will end up unnecessarily with a diminished capacity to meet its mission.
Already a parallel committee was formed in Hargeisa by Awdal legislators there. This development is very troubling given the bruising power struggle, and bad blood, between members of Awdal legislators on one hand and the President on the other during the confirmation of the National Election Committee members. The relation between the two sides is poisonous and their involvement in the road construction is bound to export acrimony to the effort.
What those in Hargeisa can do, and that will be appreciated by the people in the region, is to lobby for sufficient amount of funds to be appropriated in the 2008 national budget to the construction of the road. Beyond this financial contribution from the central government, any involvement by either the President or Parliament, whether direct or indirect, and however well intentioned, will have a disastrous consequence. Those who formed the committee in Hargeisa will do the people in the region a favor if they disband the committee and desist from interfering. ARNA must be fully independent and be the sole entity to manage all aspects of the effort.
In addition to the rule on independence, there must be a rule mandating that at least once a year, outside auditors will examine the financial operations and performance of the association and issue an opinion.
There is trend underway in Somaliland in which local communities are taking into their own hands the role of improving the poor condition of the infrastructure, a domain which universally is the responsibility of governmental entities. The outsourcing started with a conspicuous project undertaken by the citizens of Burao who devised a plan to build the bridge in that city. Citizens of the city collected funds from individuals and businesses, designed the bridge and managed its successful construction. The Somaliland government later chipped in with $350,000 contribution.
The citizens of Awdal want to do about the Dila-Borama road what the people of Burao did about their bridge when they erected an arch, fortified with steel and concrete, straddling over the dry river, gateway for pedestrians and vehicles, rain or shine, from one part of the city to the other. The awesome picture of the bridge is a powerful symbol that citizens can attain any objective if they plan and work hard. The people of Awdal too are determined to build, in the place of the current decrepit road, one that is paved that they can sail smoothly through, rain or shine. Given the fact that the project will cost about $5 million, according to one credible businessman, it is reasonable to expect the Rayale administration to at least earmark $700,000 in the 2008 budget for the road.
Adan H. Iman
Los Angels, USA
Email: ahiman2@aol.com
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