What was so surprising and pleasant for me was the irony in which, infamously within Somalia, there is a public attention to detail that Caabudwaaq/Balanbale and Marehan central Somalia are not traversed by the north/south arterial road and even within Ethiopia, the paved road is at the perimeter of the clan territory sort of ringing it from Feerfeer-Shilaabo-Warder-Geladi to Dudub.
I had always been privy to that observation and had always considered the area "road-less."
But shockingly I described my experience in the following even pointing out road travel on Marehan country was more pleasant than city travel within Mogadishu and Hargeisa!
After mapping the transportation routes in this area, something very clearly stood out. The roads are really just well designed network of track "systems." They are incredibly congruent and have both arterial and local paths.Gubbet wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 12:15 amI will also add 2 things
1. Starting at Bangeelle village, the tracks in Caabudwaaq have no rocks. None. Waa completely soft, blood red, compact soil. It is like that completely through Marehan territory until you get to the Ethiopian road connecting Galadi and Wardheer.
You can only understand how special that type of soil is for travel when you realize---OUTSIDE of rain---that track is easier, faster, and even more efficient for motor travel than dilapidated road, even mildly unkept paved road.
Wallahi anytime I left Caabudwaaq to go West, the car traveled 55+- Miles Per Hour (MPH). For reference, in the US, freeways have a speed limit of 60 MPH. In Caabudwaaq to Raqo for example, when the land flat and clear, multiple times the car reached close to 70 MPH.
For example, I traveled from Mogadishu to Afgooye once and, forget how ridiculous travel was in Mog (and Hargeisa tbh) because of the degredation of the pavement, you spend more tippy toeing around potholes than traveling---but we didn't pass 40 MPH between Mog and Afgooye
But literally inside Caabudwaaq and through it across Marehan country, on average you can go as far as the same as US freeway and even 70's MPH when coast is clear.
The soft, blood red compact soil has 1.) no rocks, none whatsoever and 2) when compact (any place you put your foot down or a motor vehicle goes through once) is as structurally sturdy enough as condensed gravel. In fact the compact, red soil of Caabudwaaq without rocks is actually buoyant forming as shock absorber over the wheels and alignment. This is why Rer Caabudwaaq vehicles last considerably longer than their neighbors.
I actually even describe the travel as pleasant and comfortable. It is sort of like invisible sturdy road "on clouds." Was very relaxing wallahi.
The only problem is when it rains---which is not a great problem, since rain is the exception not the norm.
2. Because of that + the security, THE ROUTE FOR TRADE IS NOT THE NORTH/SOUTH "highway." From the border of Galgaduud with Hiiraan or Middle Shabelle, the trade does not go north from Dhusamareb to Cadaado to Gelinsoor to Gaalkacyo. The trade ENTERS Somalia at Caabudwaaq then it goes through Cadaado all the way to Hobyo or it goes From Caabudwaaq to Dhusamareb to Ceelbuur to Ceeldheer to Cadale along the coast or goes from Caabudwaaq to Guriceel down to Beled-Weyne to merge with the central Somali region trade entering through Hiiraan to Jowhar, etc.
But if any of that trade comes from Berbera or the North, even Boosaaso, almost 100% that trade came through Caabudwaaq border with Ethiopia before going south. In fact even Boosaaso port, what is not destined immediately for Galkacyo town separated at Garowe to go through Bookh to Galadi through the Caabudwaaq soft compact road going through Galaadi-Yamaarugley-Duuban-Ceelay-Booso-Abdi Ali-Abudwaq.
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https://www.somalinet.com/forums/viewto ... 5#p5031643
Having compared them to many other areas in Somali Region Ethiopia, as well as Somalia, outside of coverage by the often single lane paved highways, the track system in Marehan country on the central plateau is incredibly more complicated, detailed, and expansive showing what is clearly the product of "intentional design."
Now Marehan Country in eastern Ethiopia is also historically infamously disaffected, has been estranged from the country it is part of, and both the government in Addis and the locals have had a "detente" going for decades in which the locals do not rebel or attempt to delegetimize the fact the area is "Ethiopia" in return Addis Ababa leaves them perfectly alone and controls for anything that would antagonize or inconvenience them.
Even the administration of Abdi Iley of Somali Region which was notably the most burdensome of all Somali Region administrations prior which had carte blanche by TPLF and Meles Zenewi to do anything he wanted on the border with support of ENDF was always refused ENDF support on that part of the border with Somalia of any of the parts.Even Zenewi and TPLF were sensitive to disrupting the equilibrium between Addis and the locals in Marehan country.
So because of this history of detente or contained indifference if each other---I do not conceive the track system was designed by any banch of Ethiopia other than the military. Certainly I would not imagine this was an investment from an organ in national or local government motivated by social development. This is clearly military for the practical, useful, strategic goals implicating efficient travel in what is probably the single most continuing sensitive part of Ethiopia's political boundary.
The wider area;

A close up of various parts;

The close up parts within wider area;
