UN Sanctions on Somalia

The UN sanctions regime on Somalia is one of the longest-running on the Council's agenda. It was established by Resolution 733 (1992), which imposed a general and complete arms embargo on Somalia in response to the collapse of the central government and the ensuing civil war.

Over three decades the regime has been repeatedly reshaped:

• Resolution 1356 (2001) created humanitarian exemptions to the arms embargo.
• Resolution 1844 (2008) introduced targeted measures — asset freezes, travel bans, and a targeted arms embargo — against individuals and entities designated as threats to peace, security or stability in Somalia, including those obstructing humanitarian assistance.
• Resolution 1907 (2009) extended a separate arms embargo and targeted measures to Eritrea, citing its alleged support for armed groups in Somalia. Those Eritrea measures were lifted by Resolution 2444 (2018).
• Resolution 2036 (2012) banned the direct or indirect import of charcoal from Somalia, a key revenue source for the Al-Shabaab insurgency.
• Resolution 2093 (2013) partially eased the arms embargo on the Federal Government of Somalia to allow it to build national security forces, subject to notification requirements.

The regime is overseen by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009), supported by a Panel of Experts (later the Somalia Sanctions Committee Monitoring Group, then renamed) which reports on violations including illicit charcoal exports, arms diversion, and Al-Shabaab financing.

In Resolution 2662 (2022) the Council restructured the regime, lifting the general arms embargo on the Federal Government of Somalia while maintaining the embargo on Al-Shabaab, as well as the charcoal ban and targeted sanctions on listed individuals. Subsequent renewals have continued this architecture. The regime is frequently cited in MUN debates on counter-terrorism financing, illicit trade, and the sequencing of sanctions relief during state-building.