MOGADISHU, Somalia — Weapons that were shipped to Somali from neighboring countries have been falling Al-Shabaab’s hands, according to information provided by a United Nations (UN) monitoring agency.
A report was developed by the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group, which uncovered that the distribution of weapons did not follow the policies outlined by an arms embargo put in place by the United Nations Security Council in February of 2013.
Prior to February of 2013, there were sanctions placed upon Somalia by the UN, which restricted the delivery of weapons to Somalia in its entirety. The reason that a newer, and more lenient, arms embargo was passed was due to petitioning by the Somali government. They displayed a serious need for protection against Islamist guerillas, so they requested arms not only for the defense of the government, but for Somali civilians as well.
The loosening of the sanctions allowed for neighboring countries to ship infantry weapons to the Somali government. These countries primarily include Ethiopia and Djibouti, who are allies with Somalia. These sanctions were not lifted completely, however, and the UN Security Council committee required that they receive notification of each shipment and detailed reports from the monitoring agency on the ground about the specific allocation of the weapons after receiving them.
The new embargo also forbade the obtainment of certain heavy artillery.
Shipments of infantry weaponry are supposed to be distributed solely within the Somali government, but recent information from Somali authorities portrays that weapons have somehow fallen into the hands of the militant clan, Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab is a dangerous group with proven links with Al-Qaeda, and manifests itself in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
On Feb. 6 of this year, the director of the monitoring agency wrote to the UN Security Council committee to communicate that recent distribution of the weapons did not follow the outlines of the embargo. The information involved blatant proof via photographs that depicted the illegal sale of these weapons in markets in Mogadishu with their serial numbers scratched off.
This information initiated a report created by the UN, which recommended that the more lenient restrictions put in place in 2013 be reversed. Other recommendations also included that, “the committee would introduce, at the minimum, enhanced notification and reporting requirements, if not a partial tightening.”
In addition to the illegal sale of weaponry, there was another breach of the embargo as a Somali government minister bought weapons from “a foreign government in the Gulf”, and had them shipped without notifying those who oversee the Somali arms sanctions. This intelligence required further investigation since the trade of arms was with an unapproved country and was done so as to deliberately fly under the radar.
Further, investigations proved that the arms were allocated to private locations and not the government, which raises concern as to who actually obtained those weapons.
This is precarious for the people within Somalia, and region surrounding it as well. Somalia, which faces high levels of poverty, is more vulnerable and susceptible to terrorist takeover, thus weapons falling in the hands of militant groups leaves opportunity for misplaced power and dangerous activity. The Somali government has struggled in the past to control its people and its land, and Al-Shabaab rebels frequently organize public attacks.
The most recent attack occurred at the Mogadishu airport on Thursday, Feb. 13. The target was a UN convoy, which left anywhere from six to 14 civilians dead. The United Nations Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) reported, “A UN car was damaged but no UN staff were injured. Four Somali security escorts were slightly injured.” Somali officials are still examining the event for the actual death toll, but they seem certain that Al-Shabaab is responsible for the attack.
This attack comes amidst a recent increase in Al-Shabaab attacks, especially against government officials in Mogadishu. Whether the string of attacks can be directly related to the recent revelations about the corrupted distribution of arms is to be determined, but the increase in armed militant clans can only mean trouble for Somalia.
– Danielle Warren
Sources: Dawn, Khaleej Times, Middle East Online
Photo: Huffington Post