Somalia region wants UN to reinstate 31-year-old arms embargo

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Thursday July 18, 2024

Puntland Maritime Police Forces.Photographer: Anadolu/Getty Images

(Bloomberg) -- Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland wants the United Nations to reinstate an arms ban lifted seven months ago, saying easier access to weaponry is fueling clan conflict.

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With a weak central government and no credible institutions, Somalia lacks mechanisms to track arms in the country that’s effectively been at war for more than three decades, according to Abdi Farah Said, the interior minister of Puntland.

In December, the UN Security Council lifted a ban that had been in place since 1992, recognizing Somalia’s right to equip its military as a peacekeeping force prepares to leave the country.

“Lifting the arms embargo for Somalia was a big mistake because the country is divided and fragmented,” according to Said. “We need that decision by the UN to be reconsidered.”

Government spokesman Farhan Jimale declined to comment.

Puntland’s view follows the death of at least 13 people on Tuesday in a clash between clan militia and security forces escorting two truckloads of weapons through central Somalia. The interior ministry said the cache fell into the hands of the local militants during the ambush.

Separately, the Independent Somali Civil Society Group urged for an investigation into the mass proliferation of illegal arms circulating in the nation to prevent terror groups stocking up, according to a statement.

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