Midlerne er gået til landets overgangs-regering, som endnu ikke har et revisions-system, der kan redegøre for beløbene – korruption kan ikke udelukkes som årsag til pengenes forsvinden.
Large sums of money donated to Somalia’s UN-backed interim government have not been accounted for, according to a World Bank report, writes BBC online Friday.
The report, seen by the BBC, is being circulated at talks in Turkey on how to end Somalia’s decades of anarchy. It alleges a discrepancy (uoverensstemmelse) of about 130 million US dollar in the accounts over two years (2009-2010).
UK foreign minister William Hague told the BBC that an international board to oversee the distribution of aid funds needed to be established urgently.
Somalia’s transitional government mandate expires in August when it is due to hand over to an elected president.
Countless conferences and billions of dollars of aid have been devoted to Somalia, with little to show for it.
The conference in Turkey aims to start preparing Somalia for long-term reconstruction. In his opening speech, Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali painted a rosy picture of unspoiled coastlines and rich pastures. “We have a lot more to offer than pirates and famine”, he said.
The report stops short of making specific allegations, but does not rule out corruption as a possible explanation for the missing funds.
The report also says the transitional government has no real accounting system nor does it publicly disclose financial statements.
In London in February, at talks hosted by the UK government, it was agreed that a financial management board to oversee aid should be established.
The Horn of Africa country has had no effective central government since 1991.
