Somalia: Kismayo Port City On the Spot Over Illegal Charcoal Exports

Somalia’s port city of Kismayo is on the spot again over suspected illegal exports after a string of photos emerged on the social media showing truckloads of charcoal being loaded onto boats.

Since Saturday, Somalia’s online media have been reporting that the port which was liberated by the Kenya Defence Forces in 2012 has now fallen among illegal exporters of charcoal, targeting the estimated $40 million (Sh4 billion) business.

RTN Somali TV, published on its Twitter page photos of mountains of charcoal sacks, boats and trucks it said were being loaded for transport to the Middle East.

“The 20 boats of charcoal loaded today at the Port of Kismayo to Oman, Iran and UAE… shocking pillage and pilfering of Somalia’s natural resources,” it said on Saturday.

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