The kingdom of
Saudi Arabia declared it has temporarily suspended the imports of Somali
livestock, according to Dahir Mohamud Gelleh, Somali ambassador to the
oil-rich gulf state.
The announcement
was made by Saudi's minister for agriculture, water and environment who
said the Saudi Arabia banned Somalia's livestock following the outbreak
of unknown illness.
The Livestock is an
important mainstay in Somalia's economy, contributing to about 40% of
the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2015, the Horn
of Africa nation exported record 5.3 million animals, the highest such
figure in two decades, according to the Food and Agriculture (FAO)
organization.
Somalia has
exported thousands of livestock to Saudi Arabia this year as millions of
Muslims from around the world were performing the annual pilgrimage to
the holy city of Mecca.
Saudi Arabia banned
Somalia's livestock in 2000 following the outbreak of the Rift Valley
Fever in the Horn of Africa region, but lifted the ban has been lifted
in early 2015.
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