On 11 February 2022, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia held its first informal consultations of the year to meet with the Panel of Experts on Somalia renewed by resolution 2607 (2021).
The Committee heard a presentation by the Panel of Experts on developments in Somalia relevant to the Panel’s mandate, on the Panel’s ongoing lines of investigations, and on its areas of focus for the renewed mandate. Such areas of focus included the structure of Al-Shabaab, the smuggling and trafficking of weapons and military equipment into Somalia, weapons and ammunition management within Somalia, investigations into Al-Shabaab finances, implementation of the charcoal ban, as well as child recruitment and gender-based violence by the group. The presentation was followed by an interactive discussion between Committee members and the Panel.
Committee members welcomed the continued improvement in the Panel’s relationship with the Federal Government of Somalia, particularly the cooperation extended by the Federal Government in connection with the implementation of the charcoal ban. They noted that a collaborative and constructive relationship with the Federal Government was essential to the Panel’s work.
