Somalia endorses roadmap to counter weapons proliferation

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- The Somali government has endorsed a six-month roadmap aimed at countering the proliferation of weapons by denying terrorist access to arms in the Horn of Africa nation, the east Africa bloc said on Friday.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said the action plan is the culmination of four days of high-level political and technical consultations between the bloc, Somalia and the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA).

"The Federal Government of Somalia has endorsed a six-month roadmap towards strengthening its control of the movement and ownership of weapons and ammunition within its borders," IGAD said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

It said the initiative will strengthen measures to counter the proliferation of weapons in Somalia and prevent access to weapons by terrorists.

"It will further strengthen Somalia's compliance with the UN arms embargo on Somalia, leading to its future lifting to enable Somalia to effectively counter the subversive activities of militias and terrorists," the bloc said.

The six-month plan will see the establishment of a National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons that shall lead the implementation of the government's priorities related to weapons and ammunition management and control.

These priorities, IGAD said, are clearly defined in Somalia's transition plan to security ownership and the national security architecture.