Somaliland Livestock Exporters Ship Thousands Of Animals From ‘Unofficial’ Sea Ports

Berbera, October 13, 2007 (SL Times) – Thousands of Somaliland’s animals destined for the lucrative livestock markets in the Gulf States have been shipped from remote coastal (East Berbera) locations and ‘makeshift’ ports in Sahil and Sanag regions, which means the loss of badly needed revenue for the government. One local livestock exporter shipped last week 3,000 heads of animals on a single vessel to Bahrain from Karin, 40km east Berbera, in Sahil region.

As usual, in the run up to Eid, the last day marking the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, Gulf States demand for Somaliland livestock reaches ‘all time high’ prices.

The government has condemned traders involved, in what it termed “illicit trafficking of the nation’s resources” and warned traders shipping livestock from remote coastal spots “to stop evading the government’s customs and excise duties or face criminal prosecution”.

This week, the government dispatched its security forces to disrupt this trade and shut down the main trading coastal centres and settlements responsible for shipping thousands of animals to the Gulf States.

Government forces on reaching Karin had to turn back after meeting strong local resistance from the clans in Karin district.

The livestock traders shipping animals from these locations argue that they have been forced to seek alternative shipping localities to Berbera port because the government has refused them to export livestock from the main port in Berbera ever since the ministry of livestock early in the year issued a virtual monopoly in Somaliland’s export livestock trade to the Saudi businessman Al-Jabri.

Traders have said they have secured large orders from Gulf States but cannot export a single animal from Berbera port due to Al-Jabri’s deal with the government.

In the deal, the Somaliland government has agreed to only permit Al-Jabri the rights to its export livestock markets and at same time has agreed a fixed price of $32 - $38USD per animal sold to Al-Jabri. In return Al-Jabri has signed an agreement with the government to invest and build in Berbera a $5 million (USD) livestock quarantine depot and veterinary facilities.

Livestock traders argue that current prices for livestock in the local domestic markets have topped $40 -$50 per sheep/goat, making it impossible for them to sell their animals to the Saudi business tycoon, Al-Jabri.

“We were forced by the government’s actions to export our animals from remote and barren places, and while transporting the animals, many are lost due to the rough and tumble of the tracks used to make the journey. When shipping from these isolated coastal settlements, we lose more than the amount of export duties paid to the government in Berbera,” said a trader from Berbera to SL Times.

The same trader who requested to be anonymous, added, “many more heads of animals are lost in the sea journey, due to the bad conditions and lack of water in the boat ferrying the animals to the Gulf States. I find it ridiculous when I read in the local media that the government labels us as ‘tax or port duty dodgers’. We lose three to four times more than we would have paid to export our livestock from Berbera.”

Source: Somaliland Times