By: Latifa Yusuf Masai
Somalilandsun- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is pursuing verification of livestock health in the Horn of Africa.
According to the Kingdom’s ministry of Livestock and environment a team of veterinary doctors shall be dispatched to Somaliland and Somalia to verify whether livestock geared for export are infected with Rift Valley fever and other ailments.
Recently the KSA which imports millions of goats, sheep, cows and camels from the two countries suspended trade due to suspected health issues.
A report from Riyadh indicated that the veterinarians are set for the quarantine centers in Berbera and Bosaso ports of Somaliland and Somalia respectively in order to ascertain health facts prior to a decision for complete ban or resumption of imports.
Half of the 10 million heads of assorted livestock imported by Saudi Arabia annually are from the two Horn Africa countries which incidentally have over 70% of its population deriving livelihoods from pastrolism.
For Somaliland where apt and internationally approved health standards for export livestock is maintained and following an appeal by its president to the KSA king for decision reversal optimism is high that the investigation
