BARAWE [SMN] – The speaker of the Lower House Sheikh Aden Madobe together with the President of the Southwest state laid the foundation stone for a new port in Barawe City.
The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by officials from the Federal Government of Somalia and the Southwest state administration who arrived in the town on Tuesday.
In his address, Madobe called on the people of the Southwest to invest in the port, which he said will cover their needs as they import business goods at Mogadishu at high cost.
The speaker praised the Southwest community for their unity and how they are interested in the development of their regions and setting an example for other Federal States.
Madobe further said that the Federal Government will support the ongoing projects in Barawe, which is the capital of the Southwest administration, now operating in Baidoa.
On the other hand, the President of the Southwest State Abdiaziz Laftagareen, who spoke at the event, said that the port is being built by Somali businessmen and not by foreigners.
Barawe is located 220 kilometers southwest of the capital Mogadishu. It fell to government hands in 2014 after SNA along with AU forces drove Al-Shabaab out of the town.
Historically, this is the first time in over 30 years that its residents will experience a government presence since the collapse of the military regime in 1993 by powerful clan warlords.
