Why the State and Foreign Invested Projects Fail?

The corruption acts in the form of nepotism and favoritism deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the Somaliland leaders. Both the state and foreign invested projects released since 2010 are benefited by individuals largely appealing to the Silanyo’s clan and other organized interest groups who awkwardly abducted the laws of the state. This raises many concerns and demands a critical scrutiny and analysis regarding how and who were awarded the projects and why? In which conditions and procedures were selected to these contractors? And where is the role of the Somaliland National Tender Board, which is officially responsible to release bids and select to anyone satisfied the conditions and qualifies to carry out any project effectively and efficiently. For instance, Tekle Berhan Ambaye, an Ethiopian well-known construction company was awarded the construction of the Berbera Airport Terminal at a total cost of $ 4.5 million, which is part of the $ 15 million donated by the Kuwait Fund to improve the infrastructures of the Somaliland airports. This company from Ethiopia with the help and support of a locally-owned company should be regarded it as the only company that proved the capacity and technology to implement a project ever implemented by a foreign company in Somaliland since 1991.

Surprisingly, the Hargeisa Airport Runway Construction Phase I & II were awarded to a newly established firm, and without a prior experience in this sector a total cost of $ 9.5 million were awarded, Oil Protection Unit were also given to Saladin Security Ltd in a total amount of $ 6 million though other sources state $ 7 million. Moreover, Genel Energy Security and Logistical Services were also given to certain individuals who benefited it and later failed to secure and satisfy the company which finally led it withdraws from Somaliland. All these projects except Tekle Berhan Ambaye are exclusively awarded to the president’s clan members, this raises many critical questions against Silanyo’s political account who repeatedly riddled with the eradication of the corruption and maladministration, but accelerated and encouraged it. Similarly, the Somaliland National Tender Board, which is dysfunctional and nominal, should be regarded as the epicenter and the source of corruption, due to its failure to serve as a neutral state-owned agency; instead, it facilitates the procedure and the process to those who want to benefit the state resources and public properties.

Not only the Hargeisa Airport Runway Construction Phase I & II contractor, the Saladin Security Ltd, and the Genel Energy Security and Logistical Services, but, Sahal Tech, a newly founded firm was awarded to conduct the Civil Registration project in a total cost of $ 2.6 million though other sources mention much higher than that amount. This newly formed company comprises an interest group belonging to different figures mainly appealing to two major clans. Not different from the Civil Registration, the Radio Hargeisa Transmitter was contracted also to another interest group in a total amount of $ 1.6 million. Moreover, Somaliland E-Passport was awarded to another interest group mainly consisting members of the Lower House of the Parliament largely appealing to the president’s clan in a total amount of $ 2.6 million which were included in the 2013, 2014, and 2015 national budgets.

Without exaggeration, except the Tekle Berhan Ambaye, the other projects have collapsed or on the verge to collapse. For instance, the reconstruction of the Hargeisa Airport Runway in a total cost of $ 4.5 million in the first phase has collapsed as the runway surface resistances determined by the density fail accommodate the Boeing 737aircrafts, a short- to medium-range twinjet narrow-body airliner. Indeed, there are certain procedures that guide building runways in contrast to the urban-asphalt roads mainly to merge the aircraft tires pressure and the ground surface to minimize uncontrolled incident. There are two main factors which explicitly made the outcome uncertain and implicitly managed by certain individuals, these are: a) the Haregisa runway reconstruction was contracted to a firm engages in neither runways constructions nor any other related works; and, b) presence of massive allegations of grand corruption acts affected the project.