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Hundreds of camels on sale in Somalia market

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(27 Jan 2020) LEAD IN:
Dozens of camels sit on the outskirts of the Somali capital Mogadishu, where the animals are brought to an open-air market to be traded.
Most of the country's camels are eventually bought by locals, but Somalia is striving to also ship more of the animals overseas to raise export revenues.  

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The tallest in the crowd are the camels at the open-air market on the outskirts of Mogadishu, where traders, brokers and potential buyers meet.
The furry, hump-backed animals are brought in large numbers to the market where negotiations take place, before a sale is made.
Most of the camels are consumed locally but some are also sent to countries overseas and Somalia is trying to encourage more exports.
"The countries we ship live camels to include Oman and Saudi Arabia, sometimes they demand more and sometimes they decline but the overall business of live camels is really good," says trader Osman Dahiye.
According to the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, live animals, rawhides and red meat are exported in the millions to Arab countries annually.
The livestock exports make up a majority of the country's overall exports of agricultural products.
But the pouty-lipped sold in Somalia are brought in from two other countries in east Africa, says trader Mohammed Ali.
Camels from Kenya and Ethiopia are also up for sale at the market on the outskirts of Mogadishu.
"Traders from these countries bring their camels here to this market," Ali says.
The camels are typically sold for their meat which is highly demanded in Somalia.
Livestock is an integral part of the Somali economy and the country is home to millions of camels.
In 2014, the country exported a record number of livestock animals to the Gulf, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
That year, Somalia shipped 5 million animals to Gulf markets, which was the highest number it had reached in 20 years.
Years of conflict and attacks by homegrown Islamic extremist rebels, along with famine, shattered Somalia, which is home to more than 12 million people.
The Horn of Africa nation has been trying to rebuild itself since establishing its first functioning transitional government in 2012.

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