The Saudi authority is reported to have turned back a ship carrying 20, 000 goats and sheep. The ship did not have the medical certification issued by Somalia’s ministry of livestock. The vessel dubbed MV-FAHAD departed from Berbera three days ago. It was recently when Saudi authority issued a new order which stipulated that all livestock export from Somalia must have a medical certification issued by the Somali authority in Mogadishu. The Somaliland ministry of livestock protested against the Saudi move which imposed on the new directive saying that Saudi Arabia will only allow livestock export from Somalia with the approval certification from the ministry of livestock in Mogadishu.
The Somaliland gov later asserted that the Saudi Arabian gov changed its mind and said that it will engage with Somaliland differently. The livestock traders were flabbergasted once their ship turned back by Saudi authorities. The Saudi authority issued the documentation of turning back the ship to Berbera today according to reports. There are other livestock traders who were preparing to load livestock from Berbera port destined for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authority imposed ban on Somali livestock citing rift valley. The Saudi Arabia later allowed that Somalian livestock being exported due Hajj time.
