Adopting resolution 2662 (2022)(to be issued as document S/RES/2662 (2022)) by a vote of 11 in favour to none against, with 4 abstentions (China, Gabon, Ghana, Russian Federation), the 15-member organ, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, renewed the provisions set out in paragraphs 15 and 17 of resolution 2182 (2014), and expanded by paragraph 5 of resolution 2607 (2021) to cover improvised explosive device components, until 15 November 2023.
In doing so, it decided that all States will take the necessary measures to prevent all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Somalia, including prohibiting the financing of all acquisitions and deliveries of weapons and military equipment and the direct or indirect supply of technical advice, financial and other assistance, and training related to military activities, except where the beneficiary is Somalia’s security and police institutions at the national and local level, who are exempt. The resolution also notes that the arms embargo does not apply to deliveries of weapons and military equipment, or the provision of technical advice, financial and other assistance, and training related to military activities, intended solely for the development of Somalia’s security and police institutions, to provide security for the country’s people.
The exemption is also extended to, among others, United Nations and African Union missions in Somalia as well as States or international, regional and subregional organizations undertaking measures to suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia. These include European Union training and support activities, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as any other State forces that are either operating within the Somalia Transition Plan, or have a status-of-forces agreement or a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government of Somalia to serve the purposes of the resolution provided they inform the Committee about concluding such agreements.
By the text’s other provisions, the Council, reiterating that Al‑Shabaab’s terrorist and other activities pose a threat to peace and security in Somalia and the region, and underscores the need to degrade that group through targeted sanctions and disrupting its finances, by reducing the threat posed by improvised explosive devices and by improving maritime domain awareness.
As well, it decided that the name of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia shall henceforth be known as the “Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Al‑Shabaab”.
On State-building and peacebuilding, the Council recalls its decisions in resolution 2628 (2022) to authorize the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and commends the renewed cooperation between all stakeholders to implement its mandate in support of the Somalia Transition Plan and the National Security Architecture and empower Somalia to assume progressively greater responsibility for its own security.
Moreover, the Council emphasized its objective to establish a consolidated framework, drawing on the technical assessment of Somalia’s weapons and ammunition management capability, and taking note of the final report of the Panel of Experts, and recommendations from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to strengthen State-building and peacebuilding in Somalia, defeat Al‑Shabaab and complement the mandates of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and ATMIS, including through supporting weapons and ammunition management and security sector reform in Somalia and degrading the threat posed by Al‑Shabaab.
The Council also reaffirmed that the measures imposed by paragraph 3 of its resolution 1844 (2008) shall not apply to the payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources necessary to ensure the timely delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance in Somalia, by the United Nations, its specialized agencies or programmes, humanitarian organizations having observer status with the General Assembly that provide humanitarian assistance, and their implementing partners.
As for the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Somalia, which was renewed until 15 December 2023, the Council requested the Secretary-General to include dedicated gender expertise, in line with paragraph 11 of its resolution 2467 (2019) and further requests the Panel to include gender as a cross-cutting issue in its investigations and reporting.
On developments towards the normalization of relations between Eritrea and Djibouti, the Council expressed its intention to keep its request for reporting from the Secretary-General under review, and decided not to seek a further update from the Secretary-General at this time.
Discussion about this post