MOGADISHU– Somalia’s Jubaland state leadership still continues to reap substantial revenues from charcoal smuggling in southern Somalia.
The charcoal smuggling continue in port town of Kismayo as three boats loaded with bags of illegal charcoal to be exported to Iran and Iraq.
The exportation will be made in Kismayo town, some 500km south of capital of Mogadishu, amid with the presence of African Union troops.
In 2012, Somalia and UN Security Council banned the export of charcoal from the war-ravaged nation of Somalia, due to its destructive effect on the environment.
A reliable source said the Jubaland leadership had formed a new team, who coordinates the illegal charcoal trade.
He says three boats loaded with charcoal will be travelling from Kismayo town to Iraq and Iran.
Names of the boats loaded with charcoal
1) MV Azmaad
2) MV Dwood
3) MV Yasin Shah
Names of charcoal trade coordinators
1) Abdi Said Dhuhul
2) Salah Yusuf
3) Dek Gariyow
4) Osman Barri Ali
5) Abdi Mohamed Warsame (BBC)
6) Abdishakur Ibrahim Salad Elay
7) Yusuf Yare
8) Farah Deg deg
Last year, Somalia’s envoy to United Nations, Abour Osman says an Iraqi ship has exported hundreds of thousands illicit charcoal bags from the part of Kismayo.
The ship had docked at Umu Qasr seaport in Iraq. He strongly condemned the latest illicit charcoal bags exportation.
He says Somalia filed complaint letter to Iraq over charcoal bags exportation.
Kismayo, a town, which is under control of Jubaland State forces and African Union peacekeepers from Kenya.
Somalia has called for international, African and Gulf States cooperation in halting the illegal export of charcoal from the country after UN-supported conference on charcoal in Mogadishu, from 7th to 8th May 2018.
In a report released by UN said the al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab makes at least $7.5 million from “taxation” at checkpoints in the Middle Juba and Lower Juba regions.
The UN says illegal Al Shabaab $150m charcoal trade goes unabated.
