According to diplomats, the United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Friday to lift the final restrictions on weapons deliveries to the government and security forces of Somalia, which has been under an arms embargo for over 30 years. The embargo was first imposed in 1992 to stem the flow of weapons to warring factions following the ousting of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, which led to a civil war in the country.
The 15-member council is expected to pass two resolutions put forth by Britain. One resolution aims to lift the full arms embargo on Somalia, while the other seeks to reinstate an arms embargo on the Al Qaeda-linked militant group, Al Shabaab.
One of the draft resolutions explicitly states that “there is no arms embargo on the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” removing any ambiguity surrounding the issue.
In addition, the resolution expresses concern about the lack of safe ammunition storage facilities in Somalia and calls for the construction, refurbishment, and use of such facilities across the country, urging other nations to provide assistance in this regard.
Al Shabaab has been conducting a violent insurgency against the Somali government since 2006 in an attempt to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
The Somali government has long requested the removal of the arms embargo to strengthen its forces in the fight against militants. The Security Council had already begun to partially lift measures against Somalia’s security forces in 2013.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently stated that Somalia has one year to expel Al Shabaab, as the deadline for the remaining African Union peacekeepers to leave approaches in December of next year.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and Giulia Paravicini; editing by Grant McCool)
