NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 23 — A Somalia-based research group, Hiraal Institute, has recommended the review of the existing United Nations arms embargo in Somalia by the international community to improve accountability and weapons management processes.
The research group made the recommendations in its newly released report on weapons spending by Al-Shabaab arguing that the arms embargo has failed to stop the arms supply to non-state actors in Somalia despite being in place for 30 years.
Hiraal Institute pointed out that the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) currently relies on “donations of lethal support as the process for legally acquiring small arms and light weapons is too complex.”
“Although the arms embargo has been amended in recent years, there is still a major disparity between the arms that are accessible to AS and those that are (officially) available to Somali state security forces,” the report said.
It added that the support towards simplification of the process would enable the FGS equip units in line with its increasing capacity.
“A review of the embargo to consider whether it is still fit for purpose could be considered, potentially with measures that link lifting to improvements in FGS and SNA accountability and weapons management processes,” it added.
It further called for the internationally-supported, sustained counter-illicit arms trade operations in Gulf of Aden, arguing that the cross-Gulf of Aden smuggling networks are currently able to operate with a high degree of impunity, with limited action taken against them.
“A systematic focus on counter-illicit arms trade, in the manner of the internationally-resourced counter-piracy operations, would increase the costs to the illicit arms networks and aid in disrupting the arms flows between Yemen and Somalia,” it said.
In Somalia, the researched group recommended focused targeting for disruption of individuals arguing that there are weaknesses within the Shabaab arms procurement systems, both in terms of individual personnel and the methods used.
“A focus on key experts within the Explosives Maktab, for instance, would have a disproportionate effect in undermining AS’s ability to make its own weapons,” it added.
Other recommendations include focused targeting for disruption systems with a focus on the most dangerous and hard to access weapons systems like HME, massive VBIED enablers, drones, MANPADs which they say would have a “greater impact or a greater preventative effect.”
The recommendation were made as it emerged that the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab spent 24 million US dollars for arms procurement in 2021.
The report titled “Al-Shabaab’s Arsenal from Taxes to Terror” indicated that the Al-Qaeda linked terror outfit spends 2 million dollars monthly, where 1.8 million is used on ‘in-house’ explosives while other weapons manufacturing goes for 150,000 dollars per month.
Hiraal Institute stated that the militant group was believed to have an annual revenue collection of about 180 million dollars as of 2021 with planned expenditure of around 100 million dollars.
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