By: Guleid Abdi Mahir
Somalilandsun-A delegation of veterinary doctors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock have for the first time landed in the country to ascertain the quality of quarantine pens in Berbera. The Saudi vets are on a fact finding mission according to information reaching the Horn Tribune, the vets from the oil rich kingdom are on a visit to Somaliland so that they could investigate and inspect the health of livestock and at the same time screen the quality of quarantine pens and how theygo about to vet animals before shipment to Saudi Arabia.
This tour comes following Saudi Arabia slap of ban to Somaliland and Somalia livestock following the outbreak of Rift Valley fever in cows from Somalia shipped at the port of Mogadishu.
The Saudi vets arrived in the country on Thursday this week and were received at Egal International Airport in Hargeisa by top government officials.
The visitors accompanied ministry of livestock and animal husbandry on a road trip to Berbera town.
Friday morning enroute to the Sahil region capital.
The Assistant Minister of Livestock and Animal Husbandry Mr. Ali Mohammed Elmi who was hosting the visiting vets from Saudi Arabia told the press that the tour agenda pertains how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia could lift the ban on livestock importation from Somaliland.
The Deputy Livestock Minister stated that he is optimistic the result of the inspection will be positive, after which the livestock ban could be lifted in earnest.
“Veterinary doctors from our brotherly country Saudi Arabia have come to inspect all animal quarantine pens in the country. They want to ascertain if the quality is per international standard.
I’m hopeful when they go back to Saudi Arabia the livestockimportation ban will be lifted. This good news is what I want to share with Somaliland citizens. Mr. Ali proclaimed.
The Mayor of Berbera town, Mr. Abdishakur Mohammed Hassan (Idin) who welcomed the Saudi delegation in his town thanked this good will gesture by the oil rich Kingdom to send her own vets to Somaliland.
“The veterinary doctors from Saudi Arabia I welcome you to Berbera, God willing I hope you bring out positive results from your investigations.
Also speaking at the venue was the state of minister of livestock Mr. AbdirashidRiyoRa’a he had this to say
“I send my heartfelt gratitude to the government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and her citizens and their vets, I hope after this fact finding mission is complete our livestock will be allowed for exportation to that country sooner rather than later. These veterinary doctors as soon as they arrived in Somaliland they paid us courtesy call at our ministry headquarters in Hargeisa. Their objective is to ascertain and investigate the quality of our quarantine pens and livestock”.
The Saudi government banned all livestock importation from Somaliland/ Somalia including Puntland and other administrations in the south even though the ban was slapped on an innocent Somaliland.
