As gas prices rise Somalis are turning to the affordable energy source, driving unsustainable logging – as al-Shabaab condemns but profits from the trade
n Mogadishu, the charcoal trade is thriving on the city’s streets, prompted by the sharp rise in gas prices over the past two years. As more Somalis turn to charcoal as an affordable energy option, experts say the growing demand is fuelling unsustainable levels of production and accelerating climate change amid the country’sEnvironmentalists say the situation is acute in the Lower Shabelle region’s Wanlaweyn district, the centre of the charcoal trade, about 55 miles north-west of the capital.
Women lead donkeys loaded with water from the Shabelle River. Most of the trees along the river’s banks have been lost to the charcoal industry.Mowlid Jama used be a farmer but turned to logging after he lost his crops in the 2017 drought. Jama says that on an average day, he spots about 10 to 15 other loggers cutting trees in Lower Shabelle’s forests.
“Some of the loggers have received threatening calls from al-Shabaab, while others have been physically harmed,” says Guled Warsame, a logger. Despite the dangers and environmental harm, Warsame says he needs the work. “Al-Shabaab has ordered us to stop cutting dry trees but we can’t. It’s our only way to make money.”Photograph: Faysal Hassan Abdi
“We only pick up dry tree wood in our lorry and never leafy wood because al-Shabaab doesn’t allow that. If they catch us transporting trees that still have leaves, they will set our vehicle on fire,” he says.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Inside the F1 contract fight shaping the destiny of three AustraliansForget Drive to Survive; this is genuine F1 high drama, the type Netflix can only dream of. It’s a tale of ambition, high-stakes manoeuvrings and broken promises. And three Australians are at the centre of it.
Read more »
‘Absolute evil’: inside the Russian prison camp where dozens of Ukrainians burned to deathEntrepreneur Anna Vorosheva accuses Moscow of murder after spending 100 days in the Olenivka detention centre
Read more »
Being cheerful on the outside can help you – and others – feel it on the insideCheerfulness can boost your energy levels, even in tough times – as philosophers and writers have long recognised, writes Donna Ferguson
Read more »
Inside the violent, misogynistic world of TikTok’s new star, Andrew TateObserver investigation reveals how the ex-kickboxer and Big Brother contestant from Luton has gone from obscurity to global internet fame in months
Read more »
‘Scandalous’: Inside the three-year fight to obtain a single-page letter from federal policeThe AFP’s three-year fight to keep a letter secret has opened itself up to accusations that it was serving the government of the day, rather than acting as the cops on the beat.
Read more »
Aussie Baker wins third cycling gold at Comm GamesAlready a star in the velodrome in Birmingham, Georgia Baker adds the women's road race to her tally of gold medals, with Australian teammate Sarah Roy claiming the bronze.
Read more »