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http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0123-somalia_kirkland.html
Deforestation continues in Somalia despite charcoal ban
Emily Kirkland, mongabay.com
IRIN News, a news service operated by the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, has reported that charcoal production in Somalia is continuing to rise despite a government ban. Charcoal production has long been one of the principal drivers of deforestation in Somalia. The charcoal, which is usually smuggled out of the country illegally for sale in the Gulf States, also provides a source of income for Islamic militias like al Shabaab, which control large parts of Somalia in open defiance of the Western-backed government.
In December, in an effort to reduce deforestation and cut off income to the militias, the Somalian government instituted a ban on charcoal exports. The ban has not been entirely useless; in fact, traders have almost entirely stopped shipping charcoal out of some ports, including Mogadishu and Merka, in response to government efforts. Only five days ago, fourteen Indian traders were convicted of illegally exporting charcoal and forced to pay $10,000 each in fines.
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DESERTIFICATION 