The UN arms embargo on Somalia, 1992–2023

In short

For almost 32 years Somalia was under a UN arms embargo; by 2013 it was described as the oldest such global arms embargo in force (Wikipedia, resolution 2093, below). This page records how it was imposed, eased and lifted, from the UN's own records and press reports, without taking sides on whether it worked.

Imposed, 1992

On 23 January 1992 the Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, unanimously adopted resolution 733, imposing a "general and complete" embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Somalia. The same resolution asked the UN Secretary-General, with the heads of the Organisation of African Unity and the Arab League, to contact the warring factions to end hostilities and allow aid to reach people (Wikipedia, UN Security Council Resolution 733). Resolution 751 of 1992 set up a Security Council committee to oversee the embargo (UN Security Council, sanctions committee 751). The wider events of that year are told in The UN intervention, 1992–1995.

Monitoring

Resolution 1425 of 2002 and resolution 1519 of 16 December 2003 set up panels of experts, based in Nairobi, to investigate breaches by land, air and sea, assess neighbouring states' ability to enforce the embargo and name violators (Wikipedia, UN Security Council Resolution 1519). Later resolutions continued this work through a monitoring group, later a panel of experts (UN sanctions committee page). Resolution 2036 of 2012 added a ban on charcoal exports (UN sanctions committee page). A 2016 UN report named Iran, Libya, North Korea and Sudan among sources of illicit arms (Geeska, below).

Eased, 2013

On 6 March 2013 resolution 2093 suspended the embargo for one year for the forces of the new federal government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which had asked for it. Light weapons could be bought "solely for the development of the security forces of the Federal Government of Somalia"; heavy weapons such as surface-to-air missiles and howitzers stayed banned. The US, the African Union, the Arab League and IGAD backed the change; the UK, which drafted it, and France were reported to have reservations about wider arms flows (Wikipedia, UN Security Council Resolution 2093).

Lifted for the government, 2023

On 1 December 2023 the Council unanimously adopted two British-drafted resolutions. Resolution 2714 lifted the embargo on the federal government, stating there was "no arms embargo" on it, and resolution 2713 set up a separate sanctions regime keeping the embargo on al-Shabaab (Geeska, 7 February 2024; UN sanctions committee page). The government was asked to keep to its national weapons and ammunition management strategy and not to pass weapons to anyone outside its service. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the decision meant "we are now free to purchase any weapons needed" and that the government would strictly enforce its arms controls (CGTN Africa, 3 December 2023).

The debate

Suhaib Mahmoud, writing for Geeska, argued that weapons supplied to Somali forces have reached al-Shabaab through battlefield losses, raids on bases and sales by soldiers, citing the fall of the Geriley base in July 2023, and that the arming of clan militias since late 2022 raised the same risks the embargo was meant to address. He also argued that the embargo had done little to stop arms entering through neighbouring states (Geeska). In 2013 the government had argued that arms would strengthen its forces against the insurgency (Wikipedia, resolution 2093); see Somali National Army and AUSSOM.

Sources differ

• Did the embargo work? Geeska's analysis says arms flowed in through neighbouring states regardless; the government argued in 2013 that it needed arms to fight the insurgency.
• Risks of lifting. The government says it controls its stocks; analysts point to diversion to al-Shabaab and clan militias.

Read the primary sources yourself

• UN Security Council, Somalia sanctions committee (751): page.
• UN Digital Library, resolution 2714 (2023): record.