Beled Hawo – history, culture and places to visit | Warar
Beled Hawo
Beledxaawo · Buulo Xaawo · Belet Hawo · Bula HawoA Gedo border town facing Mandera in Kenya, close to where Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia meet: a commercial gateway for goods moving between the three countries.
Overview
Beled Xaawo (also Buulo Xaawo) sits on Somalia's border with Kenya and is directly linked with the Kenyan town of Mandera. The seat of Beled Xaawo District, it lies about 42 km south of Doolow in the area known as the Mandera Triangle, where three countries meet.
UN-Habitat describes it as the commercial gateway between Mogadishu and northern Kenya, where large volumes of manufactured goods are traded.
What makes it unique
- 01A twin town to Mandera on the Kenyan side of the border
- 02Lies in the Mandera Triangle, close to where Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia meet
- 03A commercial gateway for manufactured goods arriving from northern Kenya
Economy
Cross-border trade is the backbone of the economy. Although the Kenya–Somalia border has been officially closed since 2011, local trade continues through informal arrangements. Beled Xaawo forms a three-district trading area with Doolow and Luuq.