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Hargeysa,
Somaliland, October 31, 2009 (SL Times) – Yusuf Ibrahim Awad, a
Somaliland citizen who is currently an official at Somaliland’s Ministry
of Water and Mineral Resources in Odweyne, told the Hargeysa-based
Arabic language newspaper al-Hatif al-Arabi of his ordeal at the hands
of Saudi customs authorities in 1980.
Yusuf Ibrahim Awad said that he had permit from the Saudi ministry of
interior to export two vehicles and some other merchandise but that his
two vehicles and merchandise were confiscated by the Saudi customs when
they found a small amount of food on board the shipment. The reason the
Saudi authorities gave for their action was that it was illegal to
export food from Saudi Arabia at that time.
Subsequently, the custom authorities of Jeddah fined Yusuf Ibrahim Awad
an amount of 11000 Saudi Riyals and ordered the selling of the two
vehicles and the other merchandise. The two vehicles and the rest of the
merchandise were sold at a very low price and the money was given to the
individual who said he discovered food was part of the shipment.
Yusuf Ibrahim Awad said he pursued this case for six years and wrote to
the Saudi council of ministers as well as to the King of Saudi Arabia at
the time, King Fahd Ibn Abd al-Aziz. As a result, the Saudi Council of
Ministers issued an order to the Jeddah customs to return to Yusuf
Ibrahim Awad his two vehicles and the merchandise that were confiscated
from him. But Jeddah’s customs returned only a small amount of money
which they said was their evaluation of the price of the two vehicles
and the merchandise. Yusuf Ibrahim Awad was not satisfied with amount
and then levied another complaint. When some of the people who were
involved in taking away his property realized that their actions were
going to be uncovered, they conspired to deport Yusuf Ibrahim Awad, and
he was deported in 1987.
Since then, Mr Yusuf Ibrahim Awad has been trying to reclaim his
confiscated property which he estimates to be worth 1,142,278 which is
the total cost of the two vehicles, the merchandise, the fines, and the
fees he spent on the case.
Yusuf Ibrahim Awad appeals to Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin
and Somaliland’s council of ministers to assist him in this matter. He
also appeals to human rights organizations as well as labor rights
organizations for help him in defending his rights.
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