Camel Merchants Threaten Cairo Siege

A ban on camel sales has halted USD 250 million in annual trade, quickened rising meat costs, and led camel merchants to the brink.

 

Camel merchants in Egypt have threatened to besiege the Agriculture Ministry and other government buildings in Cairo with their animals if a temporary ban on their trade is not lifted.

“This ban has harmed the livelihood of thousands of people working in the camel trade, mainly in the provinces of the Red Sea and Aswan,” Hassan Hafez, who heads an association of camel traders, told Gulf News.

Earlier this month, Egypt’s agriculture minister imposed a ban on the trade in camels across the country after a massive outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease in Egypt. Thousands of cattle have died from the disease, according to veterinary authorities.

However, camel breeders and merchants say that the ban will affect around 6,000 camels supplied to different areas of the country per week.

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By Gabe Kahn