Somalia Ramps Up Efforts to Lift UN Arms Embargo

10 March 2023
Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu)

Mogadishu — After launching Somali-led offensive against Al-Shabaab, the federal government revived calls for lifting a UN arms embargo on the country.

Defence minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur held a meeting with Switzerland ambassador to Somalia in Mogadishu to discuss issues regarding the arms embargo.

Velentin Zellweger affirmed the minister for Switzerland's commitment to support Somalia in its bid to remove the ban to import sophisticated weapons to equip its army.

The arms embargo on Somalia was imposed in 1992 to cut the flow of weapons to feuding clan warlords who toppled dictator General Mohamed Siad Barre the previous year after 21 years in power, plunging the country into bloody civil war.

During the meeting, the Defence minister briefed the Switzerland ambassador on the current situation in Somalia, mainly the military operations against Al-Shabaab.

The government won the upper hand of the war after dislodging the militants from most of their strongholds in central and southern regions within Galmudug and Hirshabelle states.

US military is providing air support to SNA battling Al-Shabaab on the ground. Dozens of Al-Shabaab members killed in American drone strikes in Somalia as part of the counterterrorism.

Read the original article on Shabelle.

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