UN Security Council renews weapons and financing sanctions against Al-Shabaab
The sanctions will remain in place until at least December 13, 2025, with member states authorised to seize vessels delivering weapons to Al-Shabaab.
The UN Security Council has extended sanctions on the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab, maintaining restrictions on the group’s access to weapons and financing.
The sanctions will remain in place until at least December 13, 2025, with member states authorised to seize vessels delivering weapons to Al-Shabaab.
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The Council also renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which oversees the sanctions, until January 13, 2026.
Resolution 2776 (2025), endorsed by all 15 Council members under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, requires states to prevent Al-Shabaab and other groups from obtaining weapons, ammunition, or military equipment.
However, these restrictions do not apply to the government of Somalia, the Somali National Army, the National Intelligence and Security Agency, the Somali National Police Force or the Somali Custodial Corps.
This marks the second time within a year that the Council has introduced such an exemption.
In December 2023, the Council lifted broader sanctions on Somalia, which had been in place since 1993.
The initial sanctions, aimed at preventing civil war, had evolved to focus on Al-Shabaab and ongoing instability. Somalia had argued that the earlier measures unfairly grouped its formal government with the militant group.
The new regime, introduced in late 2023, specifically targets Al-Shabaab while exempting Somalia’s government institutions.
The resolution also highlights concerns over arms trafficking from Yemen to Somalia. Al-Shabaab's reported ties with the Houthi rebels reflect a broader pattern of destabilising activities beyond Yemen's borders.
EU maritime security operation
In February, the Security Council extended the mandate of the EU maritime security operation (Eunavfor Aspides) until February 28, 2026.
The operation, which safeguards freedom of navigation in response to the Red Sea crisis, has been allocated over 17 million euros ($173 million) for its continued operations.
To enhance maritime security, the Council has also authorised Operation Aspides to collect intelligence on arms trafficking and shadow fleets.
This information will be shared with member states, the European Commission, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol, Europol and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Established in February 2024, Eunavfor Aspides is a defensive maritime security operation focused on protecting shipping routes in the Red Sea and the Gulf. It operates in key maritime areas, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea.
The operation was launched in response to a series of Houthi attacks on international commercial vessels since October 2023.
Operation Aspides is headquartered in Larissa, Greece, and led by Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis.
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