MOGADISHU — The U.N. Security Council has unanimously renewed sanctions targeting Somalia’s al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabaab, extending maritime interdictions and expert monitoring while resisting Somali pressure for faster loosening of arms controls.
All 15 members on Friday adopted Resolution 2806, keeping in place an arms embargo, asset freezes and travel bans focused on the insurgent group that has fought the Somali government for more than 16 years. The measure extends authorization for naval inspections to enforce the embargo, along with the ban on Somali charcoal exports and controls on components used in improvised explosive devices, until Nov. 30, 2026. The expert panel that monitors compliance will continue its work through Dec. 31, 2026.
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Under the renewed regime, all shipments of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to Somalia must be coordinated with the federal government and notified in advance. That requirement also applies to supplies destined for federal member states and licensed private security companies operating in the country.
Britain led negotiations on what it called a strong package to weaken Al-Shabaab by constraining its access to arms and money while supporting Somalia’s security forces. Council members signaled they will review the measures by November 2026, weighing expert reporting and other U.N. assessments to determine whether auxiliary controls can be eased if Somalia has enacted and implemented reliable systems to manage its arsenal.
Somalia, supported by the A3 Plus group — Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Guyana — had argued for a narrower regime focused strictly on Al-Shabaab and for greater federal authority over weapons entering the country. Those governments pressed the Council to move more quickly to lift extra controls once Somalia’s laws and procedures are in place and to require private security firms to secure federal approval before importing arms.
Several Western members, including France and the United States, insisted the Council should retain the central role in deciding when conditions are met. Diplomats said the compromise keeps that authority with the Council while leaving the door open to reconsider additional restrictions if Somalia’s arms-management systems demonstrably improve.
The final text clarifies how the sanctions apply to private security companies and federal member states. While some members raised concerns about the security of diplomatic missions that rely on private guards, the resolution encourages Somalia’s government to ensure firms obtain necessary approvals and urges U.N. member states to notify Mogadishu of deliveries “to allow for appropriate review and consideration.”
A proposal from the A3 Plus, backed by China, Russia and Pakistan, to impose a time limit on the arms embargo and the ban on bomb-making components was dropped. Those provisions remain open-ended, though the Council said it intends to revisit them before the end of 2026.
The mandate of the expert panel assisting the sanctions committee was streamlined to five members from six, with instructions to focus on Al-Shabaab and to submit one thematic report by June 30, 2026, alongside its standard midterm and final reports. Language on broader cooperation with other U.N. sanctions panels did not survive negotiations.
The United States welcomed the renewal but warned of gaps, citing growing ties between Al-Shabaab and Yemen’s Houthi fighters, including suspected Red Sea smuggling routes. Washington called for closer information-sharing between the Somalia and Yemen sanctions panels and for enhanced regional efforts against piracy, weapons trafficking, terrorist travel and other illicit activity.
After debate, the Council retained references to sexual and gender-based violence and to protections for children in armed conflict. The resolution requests that the Secretary-General ensure the expert panel includes dedicated expertise on conflict-related sexual violence, pursuant to a 2019 Council resolution, and applies that lens across its work.
China and Russia emphasized that sanctions must respect Somalia’s sovereignty and remain focused on Al-Shabaab rather than being broadened to other actors; a French push to name the Islamic State faction active in parts of Somalia did not appear in the final text.
On the ground, Somalia’s forces and international partners have intensified operations against Al-Shabaab in the south and center and against an Islamic State affiliate in the northeast. Since late 2024, the government says 220 precision airstrikes have killed 868 militants — figures that could not be independently verified. Al-Shabaab continues to conduct deadly attacks and raise funds through extortion and taxation, prompting Council members to cast the renewed sanctions as a bid to choke off weapons and revenue while Somalia strengthens its security institutions. The Council is also preparing to review the mandate of the African Union mission’s successor as Somalia moves into a new phase of its security transition.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
