The UN’s Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group, whose mandate includes reporting on any violations of the arms embargo imposed on Somalia in 1992, said in the report that agents of the Al Qaeda-linked militants of Al Shabaab are known to frequent those black markets “to purchase weapons and ammunition and were easily identifiable by the salesmen there.”
The report points an accusing finger at the Somali government, which under UN resolution 2111 of last year, is required to report on the procedures and code of conduct it put in place for the registration, distribution and storage of weapons held by the country’s security forces as well as on training needs.
“If the UN report is authentic, it foreshadows a scary situation. Because these same weapons can be used for terrorist purposes in the region,” said Abdi Mohamed, a Horn of Africa security analyst, adding, “Arms trafficking from Somalia will continue until Somalia security forces are reformed.”
The danger from Al Shabaab — who have so far attacked Kenya and Uganda and vowed to do the same to other countries that have troops in Somalia — is being worsened by the Somali government’s inability to rein in poorly paid officers willing to facilitate the diversion of weapons to the black market.
“There appear to be no procedures in place for the transport and delivery of weapons within the army,” said Jarat Chopra, co-ordinator of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group, in his report to the UN Security Council two weeks ago, which has been seen by The EastAfrican.
“Prior to November 2013, most weapons sold were black market weapons, whereas dealers now say the greatest supply of weapons is from Somali National Army stocks,” said the report, citing sources in arms markets.
