Port Hobyo construction to begin

Tuas Terminal, Singapore

A good news that deserves encouragement is happening in Galmudug State of Somalia, particularly in the port city of Hobyo where residing communities had mobilized to set up a convention that attracted a good attention from Somali investors and businesses. The meet up paved way to finally begin a fundraising gathering for a port which will be very strategic and vital to the Somali people over the coming decades. The port has deep waters and can hold all sorts of vessels which all can be forced to stop-over for refueling as they head towards the Suez Canal to their destination while crossing Somali shores.

The construction will no doubt creates jobs for the local residents and will bring great competition to rival ports who have benefited enormously from the civil war and instability in the Somali Peninsula.

Hats off to the organizers in what will be a long bumpy road ahead due to geopolitical weather but we Somalis have a thing to face challenges head on which we always manage to win as history proves.

I think it is very refreshing to witness the country finally awakening and Somali businesses investing in a reconstruction that will generate revenue for local communities and shore up the GDP for the state.

The vision should be to then add train lines to connect the port to huge markets in neighboring countries like Ethiopia and as far as South Sudan and Uganda while the delivery of goods will create employment for local Somalis.

The key word is local ownership which will be very important.

Mohamed Hassan