Hargeysa, Somaliland, December 30, 2006 (SL Times) – The Hargeysa office of the US-based NGO, Care International, may soon face a government inquiry following allegations earlier this week that it was involved in a Djiboutian conspiracy to illicitly acquire rights to the export of Somaliland Livestock.

Somaliland minister of Livestock Dr. Idiris Ibrahim Abdi on Thursday accused CARE Hargeysa of participation in and assistance of activities deemed harmful to the national economy.

The minister said the government will investigate attempts by CARE to undermine government efforts to protect the economic interests of its citizens.

According to the Djiboutian plan, Somaliland livestock exports to Yemen and Saudi Arabia were to be routed to the port of Djibouti instead of Berbera. The first consignment of over 400,000 livestock heads were supposed to be exported to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to coincide with the Hajj whose rituals require that every pilgrim kill one sheep as a sacrifice.

But after learning about the Djiboutian plan, the Somaliland government announced on December 13 that it would be illegal to take livestock from Somaliland to Djibouti for export.

Although Djibouti managed to export about 100,000 heads before this ban, however that amount was far less smaller than the magnitude of the order placed by the Saudis.

One December 20, the Djiboutian government of president Ismail Omer Gelleh ordered the expulsion of Somaliland’s representative in Djibouti.

A workshop financed by CARE International and held on December 23 was supposed to discuss the impact of the livestock export ban on livelihoods. Much of the workshop’s discussions however centered on the government’s decision preventing commercial quantities of Somaliland livestock from being taken to Djibouti for re-export.

The workshop adopted resolutions which condemned the Somaliland government’s measures. Saying that the government acted against the interests of its citizens, workshop participants demanded that the government reconsider its decision.

The minister of Livestock said the government will conduct an inquiry into CARE’s role in the organization of the above workshop.

However, the Somaliland Times has learned that some of the participants of the workshop were actually individuals with Djiboutian connections. Some of the CARE staff are also looked upon with suspicion by the authorities.

Livestock constitutes the backbone of the Somaliland economy. Saudi Arabia which used to be the main importer of Somaliland livestock imposed a ban on their entry into the Kingdom 10 years ago. The ban was introduced after the outbreak of a rift valley fever disease in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Somaliland Times

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