The United Nations Security Council has unanimously renewed the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring sanctions imposed on Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab, reinforcing international efforts to curb the group’s financing, arms flows, and regional influence.
The decision, adopted on Friday in New York, extends the work of the sanctions monitoring panel tasked with tracking compliance with UN measures, investigating violations, and reporting on Al-Shabaab’s activities. The panel plays a critical role in assessing how the extremist group generates revenue, acquires weapons, and evades international restrictions.
Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has waged a deadly insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for more than a decade and continues to carry out attacks targeting civilians, security forces, and international interests. Despite sustained military pressure from Somali forces and their allies, the group remains capable of mounting high-profile assaults.
The renewed mandate signals continued global concern about Al-Shabaab’s threat to peace and security in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa. UN officials say the sanctions regime remains an essential tool in disrupting the group’s operational capacity, particularly its access to finances and weapons.
The Security Council has repeatedly stressed the need for coordinated international support for Somalia’s stabilisation efforts, while urging member states to fully implement sanctions and cooperate with the monitoring panel.
