Türkiye among nations exempted from UN arms sanctions in Somalia

Türkiye is among the countries exempted from the UN Security Council's arms embargo in Somalia due to military and technical training it provides in the African country, according to a resolution.

The Security Council extended the embargo until Nov. 15, 2023, citing the continued threat of the al-Shabaab terror group to the region's peace and stability. The embargo has been in effect since 1992 to cut off the flow of weapons to the country after it was dragged into a civil war.

The resolution prohibits all UN members from delivering weapons and military equipment to Somalia as well as financing but exempts military training, technical support and other assistance provided to train the Somalian military, the improvement of its institutions and prevention of piracy and armed robbery off its coast.

While the exemption has already been applied to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Türkiye, the UK, U.S. and EU have been included on the list of the nations exempted from the embargo.

The Somalia-Turkish Task Force Command of the Turkish Armed Forces significantly contributes to meeting the needs of qualified Somalian military personnel.

Turkish troops arrived in Somalia in 2017 after reaching an agreement on military training and technical cooperation with the nation in 2010.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the al-Shabaab terror group being one of the main threats in the Horn of Africa country.

Since at least 2007, al-Shabaab has waged a deadly campaign against the government and international forces that have claimed thousands of lives, including a car bomb attack in late October in Mogadishu that killed at least 100 people and wounded 300 others.