MOGADISHU (SD) – The Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments of the Federal Government of Somalia Omar Ali Roble has responded to strong allegations from Somaliland that their share of this year’s hajj has been embezzled.

Minister of Religion and Endowments of Somaliland Sh. Abdirizak Hussein Albani, who spoke to the media yesterday, accused the Somali government of preventing Somalilanders from getting their fair share.

Somalia’s minister of Religious Affairs denied that this year’s hajj has been politicized, and also dismissed they used 4.5 clan system to distribute the Saudi allocated number of Hajj attendees from Somalia this year.

The minister said that the they pressured the Airliners that are transporting the pilgrims to take 800 from Somaliland, but pointed out that the Somaliland government opposed the move.

As result, Somaliland denied pilgrims to depart from its territory this year, prompting Somaliland pilgrims to fly out of airports in Jigjiga and Garowe.