UN Security Council to revoke arms embargo imposed on Somalia in December
Date
11/26/2023 9:01:42 AM
(MENAFN) On Saturday, President Hassan sheikh Mahamud of Somalia declared that the arms embargo imposed on Somalia by the UN Security Council would be lifted next month.
Addressing parliamentarians, Mahamud affirmed his government's dedication to accomplishing five national objectives.
“We had five national targets this year including liberating the country from al-Shabaab, removal of the arms embargo, admission to the East Africa Community (EAC) and debt relief and the arms embargo will be lifted earlier next month,” Mahamud informed lawmakers.
Analysts indicated that the lifting of the arms embargo and its impact is expected to be primarily reputational rather than substantive.
Omar Mahmood, a senior analyst for Eastern Africa at the International Crisis Group, conveyed to a Turkish news agency that the president's statements about the arms embargo suggest a boost in international confidence in Somalia.
“It signals international confidence in the Somali government’s progress on weapons and ammunition management at a technical level, but at the same time the war against Al-Shabaab has flagged for a number of reasons unrelated to weaponry,” he declared.
The UN Security Council extended the arms embargo on Somalia until November 15, 2023, citing the ongoing threat posed by the al-Shabaab terror group to regional peace and stability.
The embargo, initiated in 1992, aims to restrict the flow of weapons into the country in response to its involvement in a civil war.
“The lifted UN arms embargo on Somalia brings significant benefits, including improved stability, heightened counterterrorism capabilities, and a more stable, peaceful Somalia which will be a favorable environment for rebuilding and humanitarian efforts in the country,” Mohamed Husein Gaas, manager of the Raad Peace Research Institute in Mogadishu, reported to the news agency.
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