A former Mayor of Mogadishu, Thabit Mohamed, has stated that lifting the arms embargo on Somalia could have resulted in the flow of illegal weapons that threaten the country’s stability.
Ex-Mayor Mohamed, who is also the leader of the Awoodda Shacabka Party, made these comments on Tuesday.
His comment comes in light of reports that weapons smuggled from Ethiopia are entering Somalia amid a diplomatic row between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu.
Mohamed emphasizes the importance of ensuring that legal measures to support Somalia’s defense do not inadvertently exacerbate security issues through the proliferation of illicit arms.
The United Nations lifted the decades-long arms embargo against Somalia late last year.