Somalia's prime minister suspended the foreign minister on Tuesday, citing the authorisation of a ship exporting charcoal to Oman in violation of international sanctions.

The United Nations 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 authorisation of the shipment.

Ali could not be reached and foreign ministry spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.