Galkayo

Galkayo
Gaalkacyo
جالكعيو
City
Galkayo

Location in Somalia

Coordinates: 06°46′11″N 047°25′51″E / 6.76972°N 47.43083°E / 6.76972; 47.43083Coordinates: 06°46′11″N 047°25′51″E / 6.76972°N 47.43083°E / 6.76972; 47.43083
Country  Somalia
Regional State  Galmudug
Puntland Puntland
Region Mudug
District Galkayo
Government
 • Mayor Hirsi Yusuf Barre
 • Deputy Mayor Abdulrahman Sh. Mohamed
Population (2005)
 • Total 137,667
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)
Climate BWh

Galkayo (Somali: Gaalkacyo, Arabic: جالكعيو‎), also known as Gallacaio or Rocca Littorio,[1] is the capital of the north-central Mudug region of Somalia.[2] The city is divided into two zones, where the main portion forms part of Galmudug state, the Suusacley (Israac) district is governed by the Puntland administration.[3][4]

Following independence, Galkayo was made the center of the Galkayo District. The city has grown considerably in recent times and serves as a commercial hub.[3] As of 2005, it has an estimated population of 137,667 inhabitants.[5]

History

Following the independence of Somalia in 1960, Gaalkacyo was made the center of Galkayo District and the capital of Mudug region. [6]

Geography

Location

Galkayo is situated in north-central Somalia, in the heart of the Mudug region. Nearby settlements include to the east Loodabaal (7.1 nm), to the northeast Godod (16.2 nm), to the north Halobooqad (4.4 nm), to the northwest Beyra (12.8 nm), to the west Barri-Fintir (23.8 nm), to the southwest Gelgaris (8.5 nm), to the south Laascadale (10.2 nm), and to the southeast Arfuda (13.0 nm).[7][8] The largest cities in the country most proximate to Galkayo are Hobyo (217 km), Garowe (219 km) and Qardho (358 km).[9] Shimbiris, the highest peak in Somalia, is located some 432 km to the north in the Cal Madow mountain range.[10]

 Beyra Halobooqad Godod
Barri-Fintir Loodabaal
   Galkayo  
Gelgaris Laascadale Arfuda

Climate

Galkayo has a hot arid climate (Köppen BWh). 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.[11]

Climate data for Galkayo
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 30
(86)		 29
(84)		 30
(86)		 31
(88)		 34
(93)		 39
(102)		 41
(106)		 41
(106)		 38
(100)		 33
(91)		 31
(88)		 30
(86)		 33.9
(93)
Average low °C (°F) 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 26
(79)		 27
(81)		 30
(86)		 32
(90)		 31
(88)		 29
(84)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 23
(73)		 26.7
(80)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 15
(0.59)		 0
(0)		 1
(0.04)		 15
(0.59)		 5
(0.2)		 5
(0.2)		 33
(1.3)		 20
(0.79)		 15
(0.59)		 14
(0.55)		 5
(0.2)		 5
(0.2)		 133
(5.25)
Source: AccuWeather[11]

Administration

Galkayo is situated in the north-central part of Somalia, and is one of the most developed towns in the region.[12] A divided city, it is sectioned along a north/south axis, with the main portion forming a part of the autonomous Galmudug state, while the Israac district is governed by the Puntland administration.[3]

A residential area in Galkayo.

Although relatively stable compared to southern Somalia,[3] sporadic targeted assassination attempts by Al-Shabaab militants against Puntland public officials led in 2010-2011 to a police crackdown and comprehensive administrative reform.[13][14] The Puntland and Galmudug administrations subsequently signed an accord in Garowe in February 2011, officially agreeing to cooperate on security, economic and social matters so as to strengthen inter-regional relations.[15] Again this is bullshit. Galmudug only controls small section of the city called baraxley neibourhood and that's it. Who ever keeps making these changes can continue to do so because at the end of the day what matters is what's on the ground and that is vast majority of the city is controlled by Puntland govermnet including the Abdullahi Yusuf airport.

Services

An electronics store at a Galkayo shopping mall.

A lively trading city, Galkayo is a center for local business.[1][12] Hotels, guest houses, restaurants, supermarkets and newly erected office blocks earmarked for the government and NGOs line the streets, juxtaposed by the tall minarets of masjids. The city also offers numerous social services such as hospitals, petrol stops and police stations, with the former Somali Army barracks kept in good condition and renovated.[3]

Moreover, Galkayo is a hub of calligraphic art, serving as a training ground of sorts for local visual artists. Elaborate murals and phrases in Arabic and English adorn the walls of the city's many office and shop buildings.[3]

Demographics

It has an estimated population of 137,667 inhabitants.[16] Clan tensions in the area have historically been high.[17] The Israac district of Galkayo is primarily inhabited by Somalis from the Majeerteen, a Darod clan, while Wadajir, Horumar, Howlwadaag and Garsoor districts is mainly inhabited by the Sa'ad Habar Gidir, a Hawiye clan.[17] Leelkase are also dominant in parts of Garsor, a district of Galkayo.[18] This is bullshit. Habar gidir only live in Baraxley neibourhood which is a small portion of the city.

Education

Galkayo has a number of academic institutions. According to the Puntland Ministry of Education, there are 40 primary schools in the Galkayo District. Among these are the Axmed Guray school in Israac, named after Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (Ahmed Gurey); Al-Qudus in Horumar; and Barkhadle in Garsoor, built in honour of the 13th century scholar and saint Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn (Aw Barkhadle).[19] Secondary schools in the area include Haji Ali Bihi, Omar Samatar, Yasin Nor Hassan and Galkayo High.[20] In addition, several new schools were opened in 2012.[21]

Sports

Galkayo is home to Cawaale Stadium, a sporting facility which plays host to many local football clubs. The latter include FC YAMAYS, RPS FC, Dowladda Hoose FC, Homboboro FC, Telecom FC and Galcom FC. The stadium is currently undergoing renovation work.[22]

In addition, the city has various courts set aside for basketball.

Transportation

Air transportation is served by the Abdullahi Yusuf International Airport, previously known as the Galkayo Airport. It was renamed on March 25, 2012 in memory of the late Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, the former President of Somalia, who was born in Galkayo.[23] The airport offers flights to Bosaso, Mogadishu, Djibouti and Wajir, among other destinations. It has acted as a buffer zone between Galkayo's two main divisions. Taxes collected by the airport authority are split equally between the Puntland and Galmudug administrations, facilitating relations between the two governments.[3]

In September 2013, the Somali federal government signed an official cooperation agreement with its Chinese counterpart in Mogadishu as part of a five-year national recovery plan. The pact will see the Chinese authorities reconstruct several major infrastructural landmarks in the Somali capital and elsewhere, as well as the road linking Galkayo with Burao.[24]

Media

Various media organizations are based in Galkayo. These include Radio Daljir, Radio Galmudug and Radio Codka-Mudug. Radio Gaalkacyo, formerly known as Radio Free Somalia, also broadcasts from the city.[25]

Accommodation

Several establishments in Galkayo offer accommodation. Among these hotels and guest houses are the Mecca Hotel, the Five Star Hotel and the Embassy Hotel.

Districts

Galkayo consists of the following districts:

Notable residents

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Dr Badal Kariye Ba Bsit Ma Mba & Phd, The Kaleidoscopic Lover: The Civil War in the Horn of Africa & My Itinerary for a Peaceful Lover, (AuthorHouse: 2010), p.116.
  2. ↑ Kurian (1983:428)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Abdul Latif Dahir, Suleiman Abdullahi (3 April 2011). "Galkayo: A peaceful island in Somalia". Africa Review. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Somalia: Puntland businessman elected new Galkayo mayor". Garowe Online. 27 August 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  5. ↑ ""Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005" (PDF). UNDP. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  6. ↑ Somalia. Ministry of Information. Public Relations Section (1965). Somalia: A Divided Nation Seeking Reunification. Public Relations Service, Ministry of Information. p. 11.
  7. ↑ "Gaalkacyo, Somalia". Falling Rain. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Barri-Fintir, Somalia". Falling Rain. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Gaalkacyo, Somalia". Weather-Forecast. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Gaalkacyo". Weather-Forecast. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Gaalkacyo, Somalia - Weather". AccuWeather. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Galkayo". Jubba Airways. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Retired Puntland official killed in Galka'yo; calm returns in northern Somalia after clash". All Headline News. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  14. ↑ Ahmed, Abdalle (21 April 2011). "SOMALIA: Puntland President fires Mudug governor, dissolves Galkaio district council". Raxanreeb. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  15. ↑ An Agreement Jointly Signed by Puntland and Galmudug
  16. ↑ ""Regions, districts, and their populations: Somalia 2005" (PDF). UNDP. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Clan fighting in central Somalia kills 20". International Pathfinder Solutions. 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  18. ↑ "Was the Battle for Galkayo a Clan Dispute or a Victory for Puntland Over Al-Shabaab?". Jamestown Foundation. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  19. ↑ "Puntland - Primary schools". Ministry of Education of Puntland. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  20. ↑ "Puntland - Secondary schools". Ministry of Education of Puntland. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  21. ↑ "Somalia: New schools and businesses open in Galkayo". Garowe Online. 10 July 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  22. ↑ "The changing role of women in Society: A story of Sarah Ahmed Shire". UNDP. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "Somalia: Col. Abdullahi Yusuf laid to rest". Garowe Online. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  24. ↑ "Somalia: Gov't, China Officially Sign Cooperation Agreement". Dalsan Radio. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  25. ↑ Life & Peace Institute. "Galkayo". Horn of Africa Bulletin 8 (1-6): 2.

References

External links

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