Your Highness, I can assure you that all the Somali livestock that comes to Saudi Arabia via the port of Berbera, Somaliland, are perfectly healthy and free from the alleged diseases
This was stated by president Ahmed Mahmoud Silanyo in a letter to the King of Saudi Arabia in which the somaliland president is appealing against the recent temporary ban imposed on livestock imports from Somalia by the KSA
Read below verbatim excerpts of the letter to the Saudi King
To: His Royal Highness Salman bin Abdulaziz,
The King of Saudi Arabia and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,
CC: Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia,
His Excellency Abdulrahman Bin Abdel Mohsen Al Fadhly,
Date: 17.12.2016
Re: Temporary Livestock Import Ban from Somalia and Somaliland
In The Name of Allah, The Most Magnificent, The Most Benevolent, Thanks to Allah, It is to Him that praise belongs,
You’re Royal Highness,
First of all, I would like to extend on behalf of myself and the people of Somaliland our sincere wishes of peace, prosperity and wellbeing to your highness and the people of Saudi Arabia.
Secondly, I wish to refer to the recent temporary suspension of imports of livestock originating from Somali territories by your Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture on the basis of detected infection of Foot and Mouth, and Rift Valley diseases in some cattle shipped from Mogadishu Port.
Your Highness, I can assure you that all the Somali livestock that comes to Saudi Arabia via the port of Berbera, Somaliland, are perfectly healthy and free from the alleged diseases. This has been corporate by OIE (The World Organization for Animal Health), FAO (UN Food and Agricultural Organization), and AU-IBAR (The African Union-Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources). That is because every animal is checked for diseases including FMD and RF and certified, according to international standards in internationally certified quarantine facilities before boarding the ship to Saudi Arabia. The facilities are owned and operated by the Saudi-Emirates International Veterinary Quarantine Management Company (SEIVQMC), which is a well respected company.
Your Highness, to give your Ministry the benefit of doubt, we will welcome veterinary officers from Saudi Arabia to come to Berbera to inspect our rigorous system for ensuring only healthy animals leave the port.
Your Highness, 70% of our people depends on livestock for their livelihoods and ban will have a devastating effect on their lives. Taking into consideration the fact that our livestock is free from OIE banned diseases, and that the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture has reported no incidence of infection in sheep, goats and camels, and the impact of the ban on our people, I would like to hereby request your highness to intervene to allow the resumption of livestock imports via the port of Berbera.
Thanks to Allah,
Faithfully yours,
Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo,
President of Republic of Somaliland
Released by the Presidential Press and Spokesman’s Office
