Somalilandsun: Trafigura, a leader in the global commodity market, recently delivered its first shipment of sulfur gas at the Berbera port.
This follows a contractual agreement with the administration of president Muse Bihi Abdi that will see the Dutch company expand, modernize, and expand the capacity of the Berbera Fuel Storage Tanks to International standards.
Despite being touted as a very crucial agreement that will enhance the capacity of the port to handle oil imports to Ethiopia and beyond, Somaliland legislators are demanding clarity on the agreement.
At the latest session the House of Representatives, Somaliland’s lower chamber of parliament legislators demanded a briefing from the administration.
The need for clarity was made by the house standing committee during briefing to the legislators.
“We have scanty details of the agreement between the administration and Trafigura oil that indicate two activities, namely supply of purified oil and Development of the Berbera oil terminal capacity” said MP Ahmed Barkhadle Obsiye a member of the house standing committee.
Adding that despite the imminent benefits to Somaliland both infrastructural and in clean fuel Trafugura company is known to have committed various damaging acts in some african countries.
According to the MP , the Dutch company is said to have on 12 different times buried contagious poisons in Ivory Coast in the environs of the capital Yamoussoukro.
“The poison which was imported from Europe and dumped in the west African country affected thousands of people 12 of whom died” said MP Ahmed Obsiye
For reasons of clarity on the Trafigura deal and its future implications we demand a full briefing by the minister of Commerce Hasan Saad ‘Sajin’ on behalf of the administration
This demand for briefing from parliament comes in the heels of a recent but not officially acknowledged visit to Hargeisa by top Trafigura officials.
