The UN has been urged to relax the three-decade-old arms embargo on Somalia by Somalia and Ethiopia.
The declaration was included in a ten-point joint statement that was released on Friday in response to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia’s two-day state visit to Addis Abeba.
“The leaders urge the UNSC to take into account the Federal Government of Somalia’s request to lift the arms embargo that has been in place against the nation for more than 30 years in order to ensure that Somalia is adequately armed to counter the security threat posed by Al Shabaab and other terrorist organizations.”
Mohamud and Ahmed both made the commitment to increase bilateral collaboration in the fight against terrorism and armed extremism.
In recent years, Somalia has waged a vigorous push to have the sanctions lifted. Lifting the ban, according to the Somali government, will give its underfunded military the advantage versus Al Shabaab.
Yoweri Museveni, the powerful president of Uganda, agreed that the UN should relax the arms embargo when President Mohamud visited him there in August to solicit his assistance.
The Security Council imposed a stringent weapons embargo on Somalia in 1992 to block the supply of weapons to rival warlords who had toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre the year before and plunged the country into civil war.
The embargo has been modified numerous times since then following a Security Council review. While tightening restrictions on heavy and specialized military equipment, such as surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank guided weapons, large-calibre guns, howitzers, cannons (greater than 12.7 mm), mortars (greater than 82 mm), weapons sights with a night vision capability, and mines, the UN partially lifted it in March 2013 to permit the federal government to import light weapons and other military equipment.
The resolution prevents Somalia from giving any firearms to people or organizations that aren’t involved in the security forces.
Additionally, the Security Council must be notified five days in advance of any transfers of weapons or military hardware.
Every year, the embargo is extended and is now in effect until November 15 2022.
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