fbpx
Home East Africa UN Security Council extends Somalia sanctions as Mogadishu protests

UN Security Council extends Somalia sanctions as Mogadishu protests

by Editor lll
0 comment 2 minutes read

By Kwanta Douglas –

Despite calls from Mogadishu to take leadership of its own security reform, the UN Security Council approved a one-year extension of sanctions on Somalia on Monday night.

Sanctions regime 751 on Somalia, which have been in effect for than 30 years and have been revised by succeeding resolutions, is extended by Resolution 2607/2021.

The UN Security Council’s Monday resolution means that the UN will tighten controls on Somalia’s arms acquisitions in order to prevent weapons smuggling and to regulate exemptions.

Kenya was one of the 13 members of the UN Security Council who voted in favor of the resolution, with China and Russia abstaining.

“By seeking and voting for these changes, Kenya expresses her continuing support of efforts to degrade the capacity of al-Shabaab to undertake its dangerous activities in the region that include terror attacks, recruitment and radicalisation into terrorism, and exploitation of Somali’s financial system to generate illegal revenue for terrorism financing,” said a statement explaining Nairobi’s stand. 

In a recent report by theeastafrican, the resolution was drafted by the UK and promised to support Somalia’s rebuilding project, including equipping of security forces and curtailing sources of funds and weapons for militant group al-Shabaab.

It expands protection to ‘maritime awareness’, tighter controls on financial transactions as well as illicit practices like charcoal selling and sale of materials used to make home-made explosive devices.

Ahead of the vote on sanctions, Somalia had been calling for an end to arms purchases as one way of allowing its military to reequip. Somalia has also opposed plans to extend the stay of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) or turn it into a hybrid Mission that will still include having troops and technical experts in the country.

Extending sanctions and changing the nature of Amisom are among the key decisions the Council is set to make before the end of the year.

In extending sanctions, the Council said Somalia’s state rebuilding had been hijacked by al-Shabaab, including infiltration in local institutions. It says the group must be targeted beyond the land as they have also exploited “maritime flows” and trafficked in licit and illicit goods that may finance terrorist activities in Somalia.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

About Us

FRONTVIEW AFRICA is a Pan-African online Newspaper and Television with sharp, clear and factual News.

@2024 – All Right Reserved.