FINANCIAL TIMES: “The UN estimates that (Somalia’s) al-Shabaab pocketed more than $25m from charcoal in 2011, fueling its operations and undermining efforts to promote stability in a fragile country suffering from terrorism, piracy and more than 20 years of clan warfare.”
Somalia
How Charcoal Fuels Irregular Armed Groups
President Barack Obama announced Friday (July 2oth) that the US was banning the sale of charcoal from Somalia to third countries. The effort is intended to deprive the Somali-based, Al-Quaeda affiliate, Al-Shabaab, from important revenue collected from the export of Somali charcoal to countries in the Gulf region.
NEWS: Somalia cracks down on charcoal exports to Arabian peninsula
Headline: Somali navy seizes vessel loaded with charcoal off Somali coast Source: (AHN) Reporter: Abdi Hajji Hussein Location: Mogadishu, Somalia Published: January 3, 2011 11:17 am EST The newly coalesced Somali navy has seized a vessel they said was illegal exporting charcoal from the nation, an official said Monday. In an interview with government-run Radio Mogadishu, Admiral Farah Ahmed, who commands the navy, said Somali naval forces captured the ship after operations off Somali coasts. The seizure comes two weeks after Somali government banned the export of charcoal export. In December, Prime Minister Mohamed Abdulahi Mohamed called on businessmen involved Continue reading