Arms embargo is stifling war on terror and must be lifted, Somali president tells Security Council

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has once again called for the complete lifting of the arms embargo imposed on the Horn of Africa country to enable it confront and defeat international terrorism.

Addressing the UN Security Council Tuesday, President Mohamud said the embargo was inhibiting the country’s efforts to fight terrorism and restore peace and security in the country.

President Mohamud said Somalia had made ‘solid improvements in Weapons and Ammunition Management with notification, reporting and controls. He noted that in the last six months the country had marked 4,500 weapons, established a Weapon and Ammunition Technical Working Group and agreed upon the terms of the reference to the Joint Verification Team.

Force integration

Noting the ongoing force integration programme and the formation of the National Integration Commission, the president said remarkable steps had been made to justify the absolute lifting of the arms embargo.

“We cannot ignore what would make the most rapid and greatest impact to the development of Somalia’s own forces. That is the lifting of the UN arms embargo,” said Mohamud.

The UN Security Council has continuously upheld the January 1992 Security Council Resolution 733 on arms embargo on Somalia in reaction to the then conflict and deteriorating humanitarian situation.  However it has in subsequent years reviewed it with the 2013 resolution allowing for import of automatic assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades.

Extension

This year under resolution 2244 (2015) the council extended the embargo for another one year to November 2016.

The president told the Security Council however it was now time the embargo was lifted since it had outlived its purpose.

“The arms embargo, and indeed the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group were put in place for good reasons, but Somalia has changed dramatically and these instruments are outdated and restrictive at best and misleading and undermining at worst,” said President Mohamud.

The President and regional administration heads in a communiqué last week castigated the UN Monitoring Group for what it termed as producing reports aimed at tarnishing the image of Somalis and running counter to the state building process.

“We therefore request, once again, for the complete lifting of the arms embargo, and the review of the mandate of the SEMG.” This review, the president said should happen in light of the regenerated political, security, economic and financial progress made by my government towards the peace and stability of the Somalia.