A massive fire has engulfed Somaliland’s central market in Hargeisa, bringing the country to a halt. The flare-up started on Friday, April 1st, and lasted all day Saturday. The tragedy elicited international solidarity, including from Somalia, from which the region seceded thirty years ago. The central market’s destruction is significant because it is the country’s economic hub. Over 2,000 stores were destroyed, along with their inventory, and an entire neighborhood, affecting nearly half of the country’s economy. As soon as the fire was put out, Somaliland’s President, Muse Bihi Abdi, arrived on the scene. “The city has never known such a calamity,” Mayor Abdikarim Ahmed Moge said. Thirty people were hurt, including women who were attempting to save their belongings. They could
The momentum of solidarity is building.
Following the disaster, the United Kingdom, which once colonized the region, offered support to Somaliland. The United Kingdom, as well as Ireland, expressed their friendship and willingness to assist. Mohamed Farmajo, the Somali president, called his Somaliland counterpart to express his support. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble announced the release of US$11 million for Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 and has had tense relations with the United States since then.