Almost 16,000 Sheeps Drown as Crammed Ship Capsizes Off Red Sea Coast

An overcrowded and overloaded ship bound for Saudi Arabia capsized in the Red Sea off the coast of Sudan, drowning nearly 16,000 sheep. An official pointed out that the vessel can only carry 9,000 sheep.

The Sudanese exporters' association reported that on Sunday morning, the livestock-carrying vessel sank not long after leaving the eastern Sudanese port of Suakin.

According to the Sudan Tribune, which cites unidentified officials, the incident has cost the country an estimated 5 million Saudi riyals, or $4 million.

Badr 1 Ship

The ship, Badr 1, sank early Sunday morning, as recounted by an unnamed senior Sudanese port official. The ship was carrying 15,800 sheep, which exceeded its carrying capacity.

Saleh Selim, the head of the association's Livestock Division said that only about 700 sheep were recovered by livestock owners; however, the sheep were found to be very sick and were not expected to live long. He also confirmed that the sheep had been loaded onto the ship in Suakin.

The incident prompted Selim to open an investigation into the operations of the port.

A second official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed concern about the horrific event's potential economic and environmental consequences.

According to the official, the sunken ship will undoubtedly have an impact on port operations, as well as the environment due to the death of a large bulk of livestock that the ship was supposed to transport.

Omar al-Khalifa, the head of the National Exporters' Association, noted that the ship took several hours to sink at the pier, leaving open the possibility that it could have been rescued.

The port is already under investigation to identify what caused a massive fire in the cargo area the previous month that lasted for several hours and caused significant damage, Newsweek reports.

Sudan has one of Africa's most populous livestock. Cattle, goats, sheep, and camels provide milk and meat for domestic use, as well as meat and live animals for export.

Sheep are Sudan's most important live animal export, with the majority heading to Saudi Arabia. Yemen and the Gulf states receive only a small amount of cattle.

Suakin: Historic Port Town

Suakin, Sudan's historic port town, is no longer the country's main foreign exchange hub; that honor now belongs to Port Sudan, located 60 kilometers away along the Red Sea coast.

Although plans to redevelop Suakin port have been made, a 2017 deal with Turkey to restore historic buildings and expand the docks was put on hold after longtime president Omar al-Bashir was deposed.

Sudan has one of Africa's largest livestock populations, which it regularly exports to countries such as Egypt and Gulf states, among other destinations. However, after the previous year's coup, the country is still mired in a financial and economic crisis.

Effects of The Coup

The military takeover in October shattered the democratic transition of Sudan and threw the country into chaos.

Sudan's chronic economic crisis has worsened since last year's military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The military takeover prompted punitive measures from western governments, including aid cuts, in exchange for the restoration of the transitional administration installed after Bashir was toppled.