Somalia’s Attorney General, Ahmed Ali Dahir, has warned the public against Illegal trade in charcoal, in which the UN security has banned just 6 years ago.

n a statement, Dahir said the charcoal trade left a destructive effect on the environment, security and the economy as it serves the nerve financial source of Al-Shabaab.

Since 1990 when the country’s strong central government was toppled, Somalia has been well known for its trade in charcoal.

Despite a United Nations ban on exports in 2012, traders have been shipping the illicit charcoal from seaports in southern Somalia, mainly Kismayo to some of the Gulf countries.

The office of the Attorney General warned Somali business community in and outside the country against trade in charcoal and urged them to stop the export of the charcoal.

Dahir’s sentiment comes less than a month after the country hosted a two-day UN-supported conference on charcoal in Mogadishu.