1.0 Background

A membership drive and awareness campaign for NEALCO in Somalia, covering Puntland, Somaliland and the Federal Republic of Somalia was conducted in Hargeisa from 10^th to 12^th December 2016. Its main objective was to initiate recruitment of national livestock associations into NEALCO. A total of 46 participants attended the meeting. They were drawn from national livestock associations, namely, the Dairy Farmers Association, Poultry Farmers’ Association, Puntland Livestock Professional Association and the Veterinary Pharmacy Association from Puntland; SOVA, Livestock Traders’ Association, SOMDA and NAFAQO from Somaliland; and SOWELPA, CERELPA, BENELPA, Dairy Producers Association and Meat Producers’ Association from Mogadishu in the Federal Republic of Somalia. In addition, NEALCO national and regional executives from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania also attended the meeting.

In his remarks, Dr Khalid Magboul, Vice-Chairman for NEALCO, on behalf of Dr Taffese Mesfin, welcomed all participants to the meeting in Hargeisa. He commended support rendered to NEALCO by ICPALD, AU-IBAR, USAID and EU that had so far helped NEALCO grow, especially as regards the establishment of National Chapters that had been accomplished in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia (Puntland, Somaliland and Federal Republic of Somalia), Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. His plea was that such support would continue to help NEALCO recruit members and establish National Chapters in the remaining countries, including, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt,  Eritrea, Rwanda and South Sudan. He stressed that NEALCO now had its constitution, and strategic plan. In addition, it had established national branches and offices, as well had national elected executives in some countries. It was also in the process of registering its branches in countries where they had been established. Finally, He pointed out that the critical issue now for NEALCO was to operationalize its Regional Secretariat in Nairobi especially by hiring a competent Chief Executive Officer. In addition, NEALCO needed to operationalize its national offices in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia (Puntland, Somaliland and Federal Republic of Somalia), Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. He called upon more support from members of the NEALCO Advisory committee (AU-IBAR, OIE, FAO, IGAD, EAC and COMESA) and development partners to further support NEALCO grow to full maturity.

In his remarks, Dr Joseph Magona, on behalf of Dr Solomon Munyua, Director, ICPALD, welcomed all participants to the NEALCO membership campaign for Somalia. He stressed that NEALCO was intended to bring together national livestock associations in the North Eastern Africa Region in order to strengthen trade in livestock and livestock products. He further pointed out that NEALCO would be a vital umbrella organization that would act as a common voice for lobbying, mobilizing resources, building collaborations and uniting livestock association in all 13 countries. He commended the Standard Methods and Procedures in Animal Health project (SMP-AH) and the implementing organizations, AU-IBAR and ICPALD, as well as the funding agency, USAID for the incredible support rendered to NEALCO over the last five years. Finally, he advised members of national livestock associations in the 13 countries subscribing to NEALCO to embrace and actively operationalize NEALCO to their benefit.

In his official remarks, Mr Abdi Ahmed Nur, the Director-General, Ministry of Livestock in Somaliland, thanked AU-IBAR together with ICPALD for organizing the NEALCO membership and awareness campaign for Somalia in Hargeisa. He point out that NEALCO was very crucial for the region as regards supporting the integration of national livestock associations in Somalia for the common goal of strengthening trade in livestock and livestock products. He promised to mobilize livestock associations in Somaliland to embrace NEALCO.

2.0 Meeting Objectives

The overall objective of the meeting is to initiate the membership drive and kick-start an awareness campaign about NEALCO in Somalia. The following were the specific objectives:

• To create awareness among national livestock associations in Somalia about NEALCO
• To identify and recruit existing national livestock associations in Somalia into NEALCO
• To discuss and identify interim national office-bearers for NEALCO in Somalia
• To discuss and identify a regional representative for NEALCO in Somalia
• To discuss and chart out plans for establishing the NEALCO Chapter in Somalia
• To gather views from national livestock associations on areas NEALCO can serve them

3.0 Key issues discussed

• NEALCO, its objectives and functions were discussed
• The following NEALCO Regional Executives Committee members were introduced to participants from national livestock associations in Somalia:
  • Chairman-Dr Taffese Mesfin-Ethiopia (in absencia)
  • Vice-Chairman-Dr Khalid Magboul-Sudan
  • Secretary- Mr. Qalicha Wario-Kenya (in absencia)
  • Assistant Secretary- Patrick Njema Njai-Kenya
  • Treasurer-Mrs Suzana Kiango-Tanzania (in absencia)
  • Assistant Treasurer-Mr David Mutebi-Uganda(in absencia)
• The following thirteen national livestock associations in Somalia participated in the meeting

Puntland

• Dairy Farmers Association,
• Poultry Farmers’ Association,
• Puntland Livestock Professional Association
• Veterinary Pharmacy Association

Somaliland

• SOVA,
• Livestock Traders’ Association,
• SOMDA
• NAFAQO

Federal Republic of Somalia

• SOWELPA,
• CERELPA,
• BENELPA,
• Dairy Producers Association
• Meat Producers Association
• NEALCO strategic plan, constitution, registration certificate and modalities for joining and Registering with NEALCO were discussed
• Issues affecting national livestock associations in Somalia requiring regional level intervention by the NEALCO Executive Committee were identified.
• Issues affecting national livestock associations in Somalia requiring national level intervention by the NALCO National Office-bearers in Puntland, Somaliland and Federal Republic of Somalia were discussed.
• A separate NEALCO National Chapter was established for Puntland (Garowe), Somaliland (Hargeisa) and Federal Republic of Somalia (Mogadishu)
• Elections were conducted for NEALCO Office-Bearers for Puntland, Somaliland and Federal Republic of Somalia to man the established three independent NEALCO National Chapters
• Terms of Reference for the three NEALCO National Chapters to operate in Puntland, Somaliland and the Federal Republic of Somalia were developed
• Physical offices and the affiliate livestock associations housing the NEALCO National Chapters in Puntland, Somaliland and Federal Republic of Somalia were discussed.

4.0 Way forward

• Offices for NEALCO National Chapter for Puntland to be housed by Puntland Livestock Professional Association, Necfish Road, Bossaso, Puntland. Contact: Professor Abdirahman Mohamed Warfaa, Tel: +252907796553 and e-mail: [email protected].
• Offices for NEALCO National Chapter for Somaliland to be housed by NAFAQO, Waraabe Building-Hargeisa Office, Hargeisa, Somaliland. Contact: Mr. Guled Yusuf Idaan, Tel: +252634420801, and E-mail: [email protected]
• Offices for NEALCO National Chapter for the Federal Republic of Somalia to be housed by BENELPA, Maka-almukarama Street, Mogadishu, Somalia. Contact: Dr. Nurto Sheikh Mohamud, Tel: +252619961613 and e-mail: [email protected]

• ICPALD and NEALCO national executive committees for Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia (Puntland, Somaliland, Federal Republic of Somalia), Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda to support registration of the NEALCO National Chapters preferably by end of February 2017
• The following persons were elected by members from national livestock associations in Puntland under close observation of the visiting NEALCO Regional and National Executive Members from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania and ICPALD staff to run the NEALCO National Chapter in Puntland for next three years:

• The following persons were elected by members from national livestock associations in Somaliland under close observation of the visiting NEALCO Regional and National Executive Members from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania and ICPALD staff to run the NEALCO National Chapter in Somaliland for next three years:

• The following persons were elected by members from national livestock associations from the Federal Republic of Somalia under close observation of the visiting NEALCO Regional and National Executive Members from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania and ICPALD staff to run the NEALCO National Chapter in the Federal Republic of Somalia for next three years:

• Officer-bearers for the NEALCO National Chapters in Puntland, Somaliland and Federal Republic of Somalia to continue recruiting livestock associations into NEALCO
• Thirteen active national livestock associations registered with NEALCO as members
• Next membership drive and awareness campaign was to be conducted in South Sudan in the third week of January 2017

Done this 12^th DAY OF DECEMBER 2016