Meat for Mecca: Somaliland Exports Livestock for the Hajj

Livestock husbandry and export has always been the backbone of the Somaliland economy. Sheep, goats, camels and cattle are reared in Somaliland primarily through a pastoral system. The main market for Somaliland livestock export is Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. Periodic import bans in these countries has seriously affected this trade, the longest of which imposed by Saudi Arabia last nine years until the end of - see, for example, this early USAID study on the impact of the livestock export ban on Somaliland.

The introduction in of the Somaliland Veterinary Code — Law No. Here is an English language copy of the Somaliland Veterinary Code [ English ] prepared by the Somaliland Ministry of Livestock.

Controversy about the passage of the Code: The Somaliland Veterinary Code, like other laws passed by both Houses of Parliament, was passed on to the President for signature. The Law which was originally passed by the House of Representatives in was finally returned to the House of Representatives by the President who proposed further changes to Article 5. This meant that under Article 78 4 of the Constitution, the bill shall lapse, since the President and the House has failed to agree to the proposed changes.

In the event, the House Resolution Resolution ref: The President then passed the Law by a decree No. The Decree then confirms that the President has passed and implemented the article in dispute Article 5.

Although it is not clear from the Decree, as none of the other Articles were disapproved of by the President, this presumably meant that the whole Law was then promulgated and came into force from that date in line with Article 7.

The President has no power, under the Somaliland Constitution to approve and implement selectively some of the provisions of a Law known as line item approval. This point about the defect in the House Resolution was raised by Representative Ali Mohamed Adan Ali —Barre in a press conference on 17 March , but no further action appears to have been taken about this issue. The passage of this Law has been controversial and such an ostensible defect in the procedures has serious implications for the implementation of the Law.

The first veterinary department in Somaliland was established in IRLI A Rapid Appraisal of Institutions Supporting Somali Livestock Export, Discussion Paper No. Livestock Quarantine and Inspection Centre: The Code and the establishment of a Livestock Quarantine and Inspection Centre funded by a Saudi businessman at Berbera in Somaliland have been instrumental in the recent lifting of the livestock export ban to Saudi Arabia. The process of the establishment of the Inspection Centre has been extremely controversial because of its alleged monopolistic nature and the lack of transparency in the decision making and in the contract the government entered into with the foreign businessman.

In a study about the Somali region , David K Leonard notes that: Even the proto-state political systems of Puntland and Somaliland have a difficult time when they do attempt to enforce regulations on this group.

The strongest pressures on them to do so are coming from the competition of another Somali system — Djibouti — which now has a livestock inspection system that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with its vastly profitable market for goats for the haj now recognises. The Somaliland House of Representatives passed a Resolution No of 29 July in which it reaffirmed the constitutional principle of free enterprise Article 11 of the Constitution , asked that all international agreements entered into should submitted to the House under Article 53 of the Constitution and set up an Ad hoc Committee to follow up this matter.

For an article that examines in detail the advantages of the agreement for setting up the Berbera Inspection Centre, please see Isse M Somaliland livestock exports, the Saudi businessman and the Somaliland Awdal. No copies of the agreement between the Somaliland Government and the Businessman is available so far.

Somaliland profile - BBC News

Certification of livestock health for export animals. Provision of livestock movement permits.

Fishing Sector - Somaliland Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

Vessel certification for export animals. Advice on management of rangelands Ministry of Finance — Revenue collection and national budgeting.

Collects customs duty at the port. Assists in searching for potential markets in consultation with other ministries.

Promotes of Somaliland livestock interests. Maintains livestock export statistics. Somaliland Meat Law this Law has not been passed by the Parliament, but it is apparently in use pending its submission to and approval the Parliament. The Ministry of Livestock issued on 26 February a Ministerial Decree regulating the import and sale of animal medicines.

Somali Veterinary Code - Law no.