UN Security Council Extends Arms Embargo on Somalia and Eritrea

The United Nations recently posted a report on the UN Security Council decision to "Extend the Arms Embargoes on Somalia and Eritrea." Eleven members of the Security Council supported the decision and four (China, Russia, Egypt, and Bolivia) abstained. No country voted against the resolution.

The Somali arms embargo does not apply to the Somali national security forces. The resolution also reaffirms the ban on the import and export of Somali charcoal. While the most recent report of the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea has not in recent years found any conclusive proof of Eritrean support for al-Shabaab, the Security Council emphasized that the Monitoring Group has not been able to visit Eritrea since 2011, thus limiting its ability to investigate the issue. Some members of the Security Council also expressed concern over Eritrea's handling of Djiboutian prisoners of war following their border dispute and continuing Eritrean support for "certain regional armed groups." Eritrea argued that the Security Council did not properly take into account its counter claims.

Are Corruption and Tribalism Dooming the War on Al-Shabaab?

The Jamestown Terrorism Monitor published an analysis on 21 February 2014 titled "Are Corruption and Tribalism Dooming Somalia's War on al-Shabaab Extremists?" by Andrew McGregor, senior editor of Global Terrorism Analysis.  The analysis argues that Somalia's leaders may pose a greater obstacle to Somalia's successful reconstruction than the al-Qaeda-associated al-Shabaab organization.

Somali Government Releases Report Challenging Corruption Charges

The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) released on 6 September 2013 the report prepared by forensic accounts from FTI Consulting and a legal team from the US firm Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy and Ecker that countered allegations in the last UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea alleging widespread corruption in the FGS.  The report dated 30 August 2013 is titled "The Federal Government of Somalia's Response to Annex 5.2 of the Report of the United Nations Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea."  The team employed by the FGS found the UN report "deeply flawed and entirely unreliable."

UN Monitoring Group Report on Somalia

The United Nations released the massive Somalia report dated 12 July 2013 prepared by the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea.  It covers acts that threaten peace, security and stability of Somalia; violations of the arms embargo; obstruction of humanitarian assistance; violations of international humanitarian law; and violations of the ban on charcoal.  It contains annexes on al-Shabaab; spoiler networks in Somalia; piracy and kidnap for ransom; misappropriation of public financial resources; violations of the arms embargo; obstruction of humanitarian assistance; violations of international humanitarian law; and violations of the ban on charcoal.

That part of the report dealing with Eritrea may not be made public, according to Reuters in an article titled "Exclusive: Eritrea Pays Warlord to Influence Somalia - U.N. Experts" because of objections raised by Russia.  There have been other complaints about the two reports.  For example, the Mogadishu-based The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in a Response to Monitoring Group Allegations denied information about it and its director, Abdi Aynte. 

The Somali Federal Government subsequently objected to some of the information in the report and called for an adjudication panel for future monitoring group reports.

The Central Bank of Somalia also issued on 23 July 2013 a "Preliminary Response to Allegations of Corruption."

Article on Somali Piracy

Foreign Policy carried an article on 20 September 2012 by Robert Young Pelton titled "How the U.N. Saved the Somali Pirates from the Brink of Extinction." Although an entertaining article, its highly dubious conclusion is that the United Nations "managed to save the pirates of Puntland and shut down Somalia's only land based anti-piracy program."

Click here to read the article.