The Security Council has voted unanimously to tighten requirements for arms deliveries to Somalia's security forces after UN experts accused government officials of allowing weapons and ammunition to get into the hands of clan leaders, warlords and al-Qaeda-linked militants.
A resolution approved by the council on Wednesday keeps in place until October 25 a partial suspension of the UN arms embargo which allows the delivery of weapons and ammunition for the sole purpose of developing the security forces "to provide security for the Somali people."
But the Security Council is now requiring at least five days advance notice of any deliveries including descriptions of the weapons and ammunition, details of the manufacturer and supplier, and information on the security unit receiving the shipment or the location it will be stored.
Somalia has been trying to establish its first functioning central government since 1991 when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and turned on each other, plunging the impoverished nation into chaos. Al-Shabab rebels were ousted from the capital, Mogadishu, in 2011 and have been pushed out of other key cities but they are not yet defeated.
The government, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, controls only small parts of the country and is struggling to provide security and battle corruption.
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The resolution also requires Somalia to provide written confirmation of the completion of an arms delivery to the sanctions committee within 30 days.
By June 13, the government must also provide a detailed report to the Security Council on the composition of the security forces and the infrastructure to ensure safe storage and distribution of military equipment and ammunition.
