Garoowe

Garoowe Garoowe غاروي
City
Garoowe Location in Somalia.
Coordinates: 8°24′N 48°29′E / 8.400°N 48.483°E / 8.400; 48.483Coordinates: 8°24′N 48°29′E / 8.400°N 48.483°E / 8.400; 48.483
Country	Somalia  Puntland
Region	Nugal
District	Garowe
Government
• Mayor	Abdiaziz Nur Elmi Koor
Population
• Total	57,300
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Garowe (Somali: Garoowe, Arabic: غاروي‎)^[1] is the administrative capital of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia.

The area was ruled in the early modern period by the Majeerteen Sultanate. It would later be incorporated into Italian Somaliland.

Garowe is located in the Nugal province, and is the seat of the regional parliament, the presidential palace and government ministries. A fast-growing city, it has also evolved into a local media and cultural hub.

History

During the 19th century, Garowe and much of northeastern Somalia were an integral part of the Majeerteen Sultanate, ruled by Boqor Osman Mahamud, cousin of Sultan Yusuf Ali Kenadid of the Sultanate of Hobyo.

A residential area in Garowe.

The city would later be incorporated into Italian Somaliland during the colonial period.

Following independence, Garowe was made a district center of Bosaso. The city would subsequently be re-assigned in the early 1970s as the regional capital of an area consisting of Las Anod and Eyl. Straddling the Nugal Valley, this new administrative division would be named Nugal.^[2]

Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991, a homegrown constitutional conference was held in Garowe in 1998 over a period of three months. Attended by the area's political elite, traditional elders (Issims), members of the business community, intellectuals and other civil society representatives, the autonomous Puntland State of Somalia was subsequently officially established so as to deliver services to the population, offer security, facilitate trade, and interact with both domestic and international partners.^[3]

Geography

Location

Garowe is situated in northeastern Somalia, in the heart of the Puntland region. Nearby settlements include to the east Gillab (4.8 nm), to the northeast Qalqalooc (15.3 nm), to the north Libaax Seexay (2.5 nm), to the northwest Geida Debabo (12.2), to the west Bixin (5.9 nm), to the southwest Lugo (6.0 nm), to the south Salaxley (5.3 nm), and to the southeast War Weytan (9.7 nm).^[4][5] The largest cities in the country most proximate to Garowe are Qardho (205 km),^[6] Galkayo (216 km) and Erigavo (275 km).^[7] Shimbiris, the highest peak in Somalia, is located some 293 km to the northwest in the Cal Madow mountain range.^[7]

	Geida Debabo	Libaax Seexay	Qalqalooc
	Bixin		Gillab
	Garowe
	War Weytan	Salaxley	Lugo

Climate

The climate in Garowe is generally hot and dry. Coldest average temperatures occur during the winter months of November to February, when thermometer readings range from 23 to 25 °C (73 to 77 °F). The weather slowly heats up in the spring, as the April rainy season begins. Average temperatures later reach a maximum of around 41 °C over the summer period. Come September, a gradual fall chill starts to set in again.^[8]

Administration

The former presidential palace in Garowe.

Garowe is the third largest city in Puntland after Bosaso and Galkayo. Situated in the Nugal province in the geographical center of the region, it is the seat of the regional parliament, the presidential palace and government ministries.

The municipal administration is currently led by Abdiaziz Nur Elmi Koor. He was appointed Mayor in September 2009.^[9]

On November 19, 2012, a ceremony was held in one of Garowe's government districts to mark the opening of the new local Corrections Academy and Headquarters. The event was inaugurated by former Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamud Farole and Vice President Abdisamad Ali Shire, along with a UNODC delegation. A multi-tiered security complex, the compound features classrooms, staff quarters and offices. A new bureau for the Puntland Ministry of Justice and Rehabilitation was also opened. Additionally, the officials laid down the foundation for a new prison facility that is being constructed in the city.^[10] They later did the same in January 2013 for a new Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports office. The area also features the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Health buildings, as well as the Puntland State House.^[11] A new presidential palace was likewise opened on April 16, 2013.^[12]

On 8 January 2014, the Puntland presidential elections were held in the city, with former Prime Minister of Somalia Abdiweli Mohamed Ali voted into office.^[13]

Demographics

Garowe has a population of around 57,300 inhabitants.^[14] The broader Garowe District has a total population of 57,991 residents.^[15] As with most of Puntland, it is primarily inhabited by Somalis from the Harti Darod clan confederation, particularly the Majeerteen.^[16]

Education

A computer classroom in Puntland State University's Garowe campus.

Garowe has a number of academic institutions. According to the Puntland Ministry of Education, there are 30 primary schools in the Garowe District. Among these are Alxikma, Mayle, Wabari and Darwiish, named after Mohammed Abdullah Hassan's Dervish State.^[17] Secondary schools in the area include Alwaha, Gambol, Nawawi and Nugal High.^[18]

Puntland State University's main campus is also located here. The school grew out of the Garowe School of Management, a women's college in Garowe offering courses in business management, accounting, computer skills and business English. Following the graduation of 60 pupils in its inaugural year, the school was expanded to observe a two-year structure and renamed the Puntland Community College (PCC). In 2004, the PCC again expanded its syllabus, this time offering four-year programs; it was also renamed to Puntland State University (PSU).^[19]

Other institutions of higher learning in the city include the Garowe Teachers Education College (GTEC), a primary teachers' training center that caters to the larger region. East Africa University (EAU) also has a Garowe branch, one of its six campuses in Puntland.^[20]

Services

A public library in Garowe.

A number of NGOs also have their main offices in the city, including the local Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC). The PDRC plays a key role in research and funding for the development of peace and effective governance initiatives in Puntland.

A new Amal Express money transfer branch in Garowe.

Additionally, the Puntland Agency For Social Welfare (PASWE) is headquartered here. Founded in May 2009 by the regional administration, it provides medical, educational and counseling support to vulnerable groups and individuals such as orphans, the disabled and the blind. PASWE is overseen by a board of directors, which consists of religious scholars (ulema), businesspeople, intellectuals and traditional elders.^[21]

Garowe is served by one major medical institution, Garowe Regional Hospital, in addition to numerous smaller health clinics. In 2008, the foundations were laid for the construction of a new general hospital, built with assistance from the Somali Manhal agency.^[22] Additionally, in conjunction with the Italian government, the Puntland authorites opened another hospital in the city.^[23] In 2009, a local non-profit organization also established the region's first mental health facility.^[21]

On April 22, 2013, the Puntland Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources officially inaugurated a new fish market in Garowe. Constructed in conjunction with the UK authorities and the UNDP, it is part of a larger regional development plan which will see two other similar marketplaces launched within the year in Galkayo and Qardho.^[24]

Transportation

Roadside view of a neighborhood in Garowe.

Garowe is traversed by a 750 km north–south highway. It connects major cities in the northern part of the country, such as Bosaso and Galkayo, with towns in the south.^[25] In 2012, the Puntland Highway Authority (PHA) completed rehabilitation work on the central artery linking Garowe with Galkayo.^[26] The transportation body also began an upgrade and repair project in June 2012 on the large thoroughfare between the city and Bosaso. Additionally, plans are in the works to construct new roads connecting littoral towns in the region to the main highway.^[27]

Local air transport needs are served by Garowe International Airport, a major new airport situated about 12 km from the city center. It was officially opened in 2010 under the aegis of the Ministry for Civil Aviation and Airports. The first phase of the airport's construction was completed through a public-private partnership over a period of seven years, with the Garowe-based Mubarak construction company having assisted significantly in completing the project. The airport also attempts to adhere to the air transport standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).^[28]

Sports

Garowe is home to Mire Aware Stadium, a sporting facility with a crowd capacity of over 15,000 spectators. In 2010, it hosted the Somali National Football Tournament, the first nation-wide football competition held since 1987 and the ensuing outbreak of the civil war. Organized by the Puntland administration in conjunction with the Somali Football Federation, the tournament also marked the first time that the event was held outside of Mogadishu.^[29]

Media

Various media organizations are based in Garowe. Puntland TV and Radio have offices in the city.^[23]

Radio Garowe, the sister outlet to Garowe Online, is also centered here. In May 2013, the broadcaster launched an additional FM station in Bosaso.^[30] Radio Daljir, Puntland's largest radio station, also has a studio in Garowe, with its main headquarters in Bosaso.^[31] The broadcaster's network of 7 FM transmitters reaches most of Puntland as well as part of the neighboring Galmudug region to the south.

Accommodation

Entrance to the Meka Hotel in Garowe.

Additionally, Garowe has various places of accommodation. Among these hotels and guest houses is the Meka Hotel, situated downtown.

Districts

Garowe is subdivided into several administrative districts:

• 1da August
• Hantiwadaag
• Hilaac
• Hodan
• Horseed
• Israac
• Waaberi
• Wadajir

See also

• Garowe Online
• Radio Garowe

References

External links

• Garowe Online, a news and information site
• Spectacular Garowe, a video on YouTube
• Al Carab