DP World ops for Bosaso over Berbera
It is virtually game over for
Bashe Awil Omar, Somaliland's representative in Dubai and the son-in-law of President
Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud, known as
Silanyo, and first lady
Amina Mohamed Jirde. According to our information, the Emirates port operator
DP World appears to be poised to abandon the Berbera project. The reason? The increasing political instability in Somaliland as Silanyo's term draws to an end. But another factor is that
P&O Ports, a subsidiary of Dubai-based DP World, has obtained a concession to manage the Port of Bosaso in Puntland (Somalia) for a period of thirty years (
IOL 783). The agreement was concluded in April by the President of Puntland,
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas, and the CEO of DP World, Sultan
Ahmed bin Sulayem.
This serious setback for Somaliland sheds a different light on comments made in early June in Buro by the leader and presidential candidate of the country's ruling
Kulmiye party,
Musa Bihi Abdi. He voiced his reservations to senior party officials over the idea of an Emirates military base being established in Berbera (
ION 1455).