[ad_1]
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Puntland Maritime Police Force. Photographer: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
(Bloomberg) — Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland wants the United Nations to reinstate an arms ban lifted seven months ago, saying easier access to weapons has fueled clan conflicts. Puntland Interior Minister Abdi Farah Said said Somalia’s central government is weak, there are no reliable institutions and there is no mechanism to track weapons, and the country has been in a de facto state of war for more than three decades.
In December, the UN Security Council lifted a ban that had been in place since 1992, recognizing Somalia’s right to equip its troops as peacekeepers prepare to leave the country.
Said said: “Lifting the arms embargo on Somalia is a big mistake because the country is torn apart and we need the United Nations to reconsider this decision.”
Government spokesman Farhan Jimale declined to comment.
Puntland’s view came after clan militias clashed with security forces escorting two trucks loaded with weapons through central Somalia on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people. The Interior Ministry said the weapons fell into the hands of local militants during the ambush.
Separately, a statement said independent civil society groups in Somalia called for an investigation into the massive proliferation of illegal weapons in the country to prevent terrorist groups from stockpiling weapons.
[ad_2]
Source link
