According to local officials in Somaliland’s autonomous territory, a large fire at a sprawling market in the capital destroyed items worth up to $2 billion.
At least 28 people were injured in a fire that damaged Hargeisa’s Waheen market on Friday night, a vital source of income for the city’s citizens.
The loss, which occurred on the eve of Ramadan, generated outrage at home and solidarity efforts from abroad who have pledged to assist Somaliland in restoring the market.
Losses are estimated to be between $1.5 billion and $2 billion, according to a preliminary study provided by a national panel investigating the fire.
The source of the fire has yet to be determined, but some Hargeisa traders suspect it was caused a bad electrical connection may have been the cause.
The disaster has united Somalis, with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of Somalia reaching out to Somaliland leader Muse Bihi Abdi in a rare phone call between the two. Abdi, who has been Somaliland’s president since 2017, has been pursuing international recognition of his territory’s self-declared independence, which Somalia opposes.
“Saddened to see the aftermath of the fire in Hargeisa, with such destruction in the open market, which is the city’s economic core, hurting many small and family businesses,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted. “Your city will rise again, and the United Kingdom will do everything we can to help Somaliland rebuild.”
The fire, according to some residents of Hargeisa who talked to the Associated Press, devastated their livelihood.
“It’s a tremendous blow on the first day of Ramadan, because so many of us rely on this market to make ends meet,” said Hodan Ali, an entrepreneur who lost property in the fire.
Waheen market, she said, is “a one-stop shop for Somalilanders’ needs.”
Strategically located by the Gulf of Aden, Somaliland’s territory of more than 3 million people broke away from Somalia in 1991 as the country collapsed into warlord-led conflict.
Despite lacking international recognition, Somaliland has maintained its own independent government, currency and security system. The region has largely succeeded in holding regular elections over the years, including parliamentary polls held last year.