Somaliland ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Arms Proliferation in Somalia

Somaliland government expresses grave concern over the alarming escalation of arms proliferation in Somalia.

The Somaliland Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement today.

The Government of the Republic of Somaliland expresses grave concern over the alarming escalation of arms proliferation in Somalia, as evidenced by recent events. In the past three months, Al Shabab has successfully seized substantial quantities of weaponry from government forces in central Somalia. Moreover, the recent incident in Aabud Waq, where civilians and clan militias captured a large cache of weapons and ammunition from the Mogadishu government, further highlights the critical security situation.

These developments serve as a serious reminder of the Somaliland government’s and other frontline states’ longstanding concerns regarding the lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia. Despite our fervent warnings, the embargo was lifted in December 2023. The subsequent proliferation of these captured arms, now widely documented on social media, raises serious questions about the wisdom and timing of this decision.

Given the Mogadishu government’s apparent inability to secure its arms stockpiles, and the potential catastrophic consequences of this situation, the Somaliland government calls upon the United Nations and the International Community to urgently re-evaluate their decision to lift the arms embargo.

We urge the international community to take immediate steps to address this crisis and prevent further destabilization of the region.