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UN Security Council tightens Somalia arms embargo
United Nations, July 23: The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution to tighten the ten-year-old but only lightly-enforced arms embargo on Somalia.
United Nations, July 23: The UN Security Council has
unanimously approved a resolution to tighten the ten-year-old
but only lightly-enforced arms embargo on Somalia.
Resolution 1425, presented by Norway and approved yesterday, bans direct, government to government deliveries as well as financing and military advisors and puts in place a committee charged with setting guidelines for violations and enforcement. Violations were "severely undermining peace and security and the political efforts for national reconciliation in Somalia," according to the wording of the resolution.
A July 11 UN report revealed that amongst others, the United States, Ethiopia and Iran had at some time supplied arms to Somalia in violation of the existing embargo. "We focus on the need to put a damper on the free flow of arms coming through the borders (of Somalia)," said British ambassador to the UN and current security council chairman Jeremy Greenstock.
The country most frequently mentioned in the UN's July report was Ethiopia, which it says supplied not only small-calibre arms but mortars and anti-aircraft artillery to groups opposed to Somalia's transitional government in June 2001. The United States supported Ethiopia, which in turn armed and trained Somali warlords, according to the UN document.
The transitional government was put in place in the summer of 2000 with the support of the international community, but in reality has little authority outside certain sectors of the Mogadishu.
Bureau Report
Resolution 1425, presented by Norway and approved yesterday, bans direct, government to government deliveries as well as financing and military advisors and puts in place a committee charged with setting guidelines for violations and enforcement. Violations were "severely undermining peace and security and the political efforts for national reconciliation in Somalia," according to the wording of the resolution.
A July 11 UN report revealed that amongst others, the United States, Ethiopia and Iran had at some time supplied arms to Somalia in violation of the existing embargo. "We focus on the need to put a damper on the free flow of arms coming through the borders (of Somalia)," said British ambassador to the UN and current security council chairman Jeremy Greenstock.
The country most frequently mentioned in the UN's July report was Ethiopia, which it says supplied not only small-calibre arms but mortars and anti-aircraft artillery to groups opposed to Somalia's transitional government in June 2001. The United States supported Ethiopia, which in turn armed and trained Somali warlords, according to the UN document.
The transitional government was put in place in the summer of 2000 with the support of the international community, but in reality has little authority outside certain sectors of the Mogadishu.
Bureau Report