Somalia Welcomes UN Lifting of Military Arms Embargo
Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The government of Somalia welcomed the decision of the United Nations Security Council to lift the military arms embargo. Accordingly, military equipment and upgrades to the government will flow more freely – and with clarity.
Abukar Dahir Osman (UN Ambassador of Somalia) said: “The lifting of the arms embargo enables us to confront security threats.”
He continued, “It also allows us to bolster the capacity of the Somali security forces by accessing lethal arms and equipment to adequately safeguard our citizens and our nation.”
America supports the armed forces of Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab Islamic insurgents. This Islamist group seeks the establishment of a conservative Sharia Islamic state.
The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said, “Al Shabaab is the largest and most kinetically active al-Qaeda network in the world and has proved both its will and capability to attack partner and U.S. forces and threaten security interests in the region.”
The armed forces of Somalia and loyal militias seem more coherent in their counter-attacks against al-Shabaab – in recent times.
Voice of America reports, “Somalia’s government had long asked for the arms embargo to be removed so it could beef up its forces to take on the militants. The Security Council began to partially start lifting measures on Somalia’s security forces in 2013.”
The al-Shabaab is very tenacious. Accordingly, this Islamist insurgency group can melt away and then launch terrorist or hit-and-run attacks.
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