East Africa: Weapons Without Oversight: How Lifting Somalia's Arms Embargo Destabilizes Horn of Africa

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- When the United Nations Security Council voted in December 2023 to lift Somalia's long-standing arms embargo, many framed it as a vote of confidence, a sign that the world was ready to support Somalia's recovery and sovereignty after decades of internal conflict. However, more than 19 months later, the outcomes of that resolution have proven to be less than encouraging. Far from stabilizing the country, the removal of the embargo has accelerated the spread of weapons across Somalia, heightened regional