Dhusamareb, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Karie on Sunday inaugurated the first phase of a project to pave roads in the Galmudug capital Dhuusamareeb and develop the city's Green Monument.
The project is part of wider efforts to improve infrastructure and the appearance of Dhuusamareeb, while easing movement through the city and supporting local economic activity.
Hassan Sheikh praised the Galmudug administration for what he described as an effective implementation of the project, saying the work had been completed according to plan while maintaining construction quality and technical standards.
The president said the road and urban development projects represented important progress in Dhuusamareeb's infrastructure and would contribute to improving transport and creating conditions for economic growth.
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He also thanked the World Bank and Somalia's Ministry of Public Works for their role in planning, financing and implementing the projects.
Hassan Sheikh praised Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Karie for overseeing the initiatives, describing the projects as lasting government investments and part of efforts to improve public infrastructure in the region.
The president urged residents of Galmudug to protect the newly completed infrastructure and continue supporting development efforts in the region.
The inauguration comes as Hassan Sheikh is visiting Galmudug amid heightened political and security tensions elsewhere in the region, including in Galkayo, where Puntland and federal government-aligned forces have recently been involved in clashes.
The federal government has increasingly sought to expand development projects and strengthen its presence across Somalia's federal member states, while relations between Mogadishu and some regional administrations remain strained over political and security issues.
Dhuusamareeb serves as the administrative capital of Galmudug and has become an important centre for federal government engagement with the central Somali region. The completion of new roads and other urban infrastructure is expected to improve connectivity within the city and support commercial activity.
The government has repeatedly said investment in roads and other basic infrastructure is essential to Somalia's longer-term economic recovery, particularly in areas affected by years of conflict and limited public investment.
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