The weaponry supplied to Somalia being sold in black market or fights each other; the international community should not lift the weaponry embargo imposed to Somalia as this threat to regional peace
After the collapse of Sayid Bare regime in 1991, the power vacuum result power struggle in Somalia. This chaos has influenced the
United Nations Security Council adapting resolution 733 imposing an arms embargo on Somalia in reaction to the ongoing conflict and deteriorating humanitarian situation In January 1992. This Resolution was unanimously adopted. On 14 November 2017 Resolution C/13065 was adapted extending arms embargoes on Somalia, Eritrea, Security Council Adopts Resolution 2385 (2017) by 11 votes in Favour, 4 Abstention. The Council also expressed concern about continued reports of corruption involving members of the Federal Government Administration and the Federal Parliament, underlining that individuals engaged in acts that threatened Somalia’s peace and reconciliation process might be listed for targeted sanctions. In fact, the embargo is extend am till 15 November 2018. Recently, after UAE closed their training centre in Somali capital, weapons left by UAE was stolen and sold on open market. At least 600 weapons were stolen from a former United Arab Emirates-run training centre in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu and are for sale in the city, weapons dealers said.
The weapons, including new Kalashnikov assault rifles and Chinese versions of them, were stolen by Somali National Army soldiers who had been trained by the UAE at its facility, three Somali men who purchased weapons from the soldiers. This is followed; rival forces in the Somali army shot at each other in the capital Mogadishu with one group trying to storm a former United Arab Emirates-run training centre. Some Somali military forces attacked us at the base, they wanted to loot. The clash lasted 90 minute. Some of the UAE-trained Somali soldiers had fled. The clash was an indication of the difficulty in rebuilding unified security forces for a state where centralized authority collapsed in 1991.
The UAE-trained troops began stealing weapons from the facility shortly after the program was disbanded, the dealers said. The soldiers sold guns directly to the dealers and indirectly via their brokers. The looting appears to have occurred while the UAE was in the process of emptying its training centre. The dealers showed Reuters five weapons they said they bought from the soldiers. Eyewitness, said they purchased the weapons for $700, a significant discount on the current price of $1,350 in Mogadishu for a new Kalashnikov. The dealers then began last night reselling the weapons at $1,000 each, he said. UAE has trained hundreds of Somali troops since 2014 as part of an effort boosted by an African Union military mission. Many times in the past, members of Somali army found sold in open black market in Somali capital.
Somalia is still in crossroads and Somali leaders are divided, circumstance is not right lifting weaponry embargo from Somalia. It is certain that weapons will be sold in black market as happened many times in the event the embargo is lifted as the Somali army are divided and undisciplined. Even the Somali regional states oppose lifting the sanction being consider the federal government threat to them. Furthermore, being tribally divided, there is no Somali national army in Somalia. Majority of the existing army members came from former tribal militias during warlords’ days in Somalia. Being undisciplined in the event, the embargo be lifted, Somali army will use the weaponry other than the intended purpose like selling in black markets or fighting each other as we have experienced many times in the past and as a result, Somalia being experiencing many complex security issues which are threat to regional peace, the international community should continue the weaponry embargo the united nation imposed to Somalia in 1992 in view of above.
Ismail Lugweyne
