Hiiraan Online
Friday July 19, 2019
Somalia's government has made an exemption for a ship carrying over 20,000 goats and sheep to be offloaded at Jeddah, according to Somalia's Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Gulaid.
The MV-FAHAD vessel was stranded at Jeddah seaport since July 11 for failing to produce medical paperwork issued by Somalia's ministry of livestock. DP Mahdi said the ship was stranded due to lack of the necessary paperwork as per an agreement between Somalia and Saudi Arabia.
The DP Mahdi noted that the interventions by the SFG, especially president Farmaajo convinced the Saudi authorities to allow offloading of the ship.
Meanwhile, the DP hinted that the Federal Government will regulate livestock exports after Eid Al-Adha, a period of the year when Somali livestock traders send thousands of livestock to the Arab nation for Hajj purposes.
The move to strand the ship angered Somaliland authorities who blamed the Mogadishu-based government for attempting to undermine its livestock trade.