Illegal arms smuggling between Somalia and Yemen and investigations into the finances of Alshabab were the focus of two recent meetings held by the United Nations Security Council.
The council’s sanctions committee on Somalia, led by Ishikane Kimihiro of Japan, also addressed recommendations contained in the panel’s final report for 2022, sent letters to various member states, and received correspondence from Somalia regarding charcoal.
During his briefing to the council, Kimihiro revealed that the Security Council had eased the partially lifted arms embargo through resolution 2662 (2022) to support Somalia’s development of its security institutions.
The resolution included recommendations to reduce existing Somalia charcoal stockpiles and renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Somalia. Furthermore, the resolution changed the committee’s name to highlight its focus on Al-Shabaab.
According to a report by the Institute for Security Studies, arms smuggling to Somalia is facilitated by a network of local and international actors, with weapons worth millions of dollars often smuggled via sea routes.
