United Nations:
The UN Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to partially suspend an arms embargo on Somalia for 12 months for military equipment intended solely to develop the country's security forces and provide security for the Somali people.
The resolution adopted by the council contains a list of heavy military hardware that will remain banned for export to the east African country. It includes surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank guided weapons, night-vision weapons, mortars larger than 82mm, and guns, howitzers and cannons larger than 12.7mm.
Somalia had not had a functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and turned on each other, plunging the impoverished nation into chaos. But since African Union forces ousted al-Shabab fighters from Mogadishu over 18 months ago, a relative peace has returned to the war-battered city, creating a new sense of hope and opportunity.
Last year, a new interim constitution was approved, a new parliament was seated, a new president was elected, and a new government and Cabinet started work, replacing a weak and largely ineffective transitional government. The new government asked the Security Council to suspend the arms embargo.
The partial lifting of the arms embargo, and the establishment of a new U.N. mission that will operate alongside the AU force in the country, were described by council diplomats as concrete actions aimed at recognizing the government's progress in restoring order and stability to the impoverished Horn of Africa nation and encouraging it to do more.
The resolution extends the mandate for the African Union force, known as AMISOM, until Feb. 28, 2014. It commended AMISOM's contribution to peace and stability and noted "its critical role in improving the security situation in Mogadishu ... and other areas of south-central Somalia, including Kismayo."
For years, Somalia has been seeking to have AMISOM replaced by a U.N. peacekeeping force. But the Security Council agreed with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that conditions in Somalia are not yet appropriate for deployment of U.N. peacekeepers.
The council asked Ban to keep the establishment of a U.N. peacekeeping operation under review and set benchmarks for deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping operation.
The Security Council called on the government, with the support of AMISOM and international partners, to consolidate security, establish the rule of law, and build representative local government in areas under its control. It also underlined the importance of re-establishing, training, equipping and retaining Somali security forces.
The council strongly condemned attacks by armed opposition groups and foreign fighters aimed at destabilizing Somalia, particularly al-Shabab, stressing that such groups "constitute a continuing terrorist threat to Somalia, the region and the international community."