Somalia FM suspended over 'charcoal export to Oman in violation of UN sanctions'
Somalia FM suspended over 'charcoal export to Oman in violation of UN sanctions'
Such charcoal shipments were banned by the UN Security Council a decade ago to cut funding for Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab.
1 min read
Somalia's prime minister suspended the foreign minister on Tuesday, citing the alleged authorisation of a ship exporting charcoal to Oman in violation of international sanctions.
The UN Security Council banned such shipments a decade ago to cut funding for the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda franchise fighting Somalia's central government.
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble's office said that as well as suspending Foreign Minister Abdisaid Muse Ali, he had ordered an audit and judicial investigation into the ministry's alleged authorisation of the shipment.
Ali could not be reached and foreign ministry spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
The status of the shipment was unclear.
(Reuters)