Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to help stop the supply of arms to al-Shaabab in Somalia and Kenya.

The primary barrier to the flow of arms to al Shabaab in Somalia is the UN Security Council (UNSC) arms embargo imposed with Resolution 733 in 1992. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK fully supports this embargo.

The partial suspension of the arms embargo in Resolution 2317 (2016) was designed to allow the Federal Government to obtain the equipment needed to develop the Somali national security forces, which are critical for Somalia's long-term security. Safeguards exist within the framework of the suspension. These include restrictions on heavy weaponry, monitoring mechanisms, and requirements to notify and report to the UN. The Monitoring Group's mandate was also extended, to 15 December 2018, in UNSC Resolution 2385 (2017). Individuals who abuse the suspension may also be listed under the sanctions regime.