Somalia charcoal exports fuel war: minister

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Illegal charcoal exports to Gulf states are a big source of income for rebel groups in Somalia, injecting millions of dollars to the war that has devastated the nation, its environment minister said on Monday.The Horn of African country's environment ministry, which receives just a $12,000 monthly budget, says the level of destruction the business has caused is huge."These radical groups cut the trees and allow corrupt businessmen to export charcoal from ports they control, and the money is used to perpetuate the killing of civilians," Burci Hamza told Reuters in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

"We cannot wait for security to come while ignoring this disaster."

The minister said his government is in discussions with Gulf states and the Arab League to bar charcoal imports from Somalia."At this stage, if we convince these countries to stop importing charcoal, they (exporters) will not have a market."Hamza, who spearheaded Somalia's signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty in December, said his government would also enlist youths to replant trees in depleted areas."We have to do something; engage the youth in reforestation projects, offer them an alternative that will have double benefit for the country; security and preserving the environment." Continued...