Security Council divided on lifting sanctions off Eritrea

UN Security Council 

By SecurityCouncilReport

Expected Council Action

In July, the Council is expected to adopt a resolution reauthorising the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The Council also expects to receive a briefing by the Chair of the 751/1907 Somalia-Eritrea Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Rafael Darío Ramírez Carreño (Venezuela).

Options

The main option for the Council is to adopt a resolution renewing AMISOM’s authorisation for one year. It is likely that there will be no major changes to the mandated tasks, but Council members may use the perspectives gained from their visit to Somalia in May and from their 27 June interactive dialogue on AMISOM to further refine the mandate.

Council Dynamics

At press time, discussions on AMISOM’s renewal were underway. While it appeared that the main tasks of the mandate would remain the same, it seemed that the focus would be on prioritising the mandate, as requested by troop-contributing countries, to enhance the efficacy of AMISOM’s implementation.

The Council remains generally united on Somalia and in its support for AMISOM and the Somali National Army. As demonstrated during the Council’s visit to Somalia and in its 23 May press statement, the Council is united in supporting Somalia’s electoral and state-building processes.

On sanctions, the Council is divided between those members who believe it should consider lifting the measures against Eritrea, such as Angola, China, Russia and Venezuela, and those who remain concerned about Eritrea’s other activities in the region and seem to view cooperation with the Monitoring Group as a precondition for any changes in the sanctions regime. Venezuela has also called on the Council to heed Somalia’s appeal for the lifting of sanctions.

The UK is the penholder on Somalia and Venezuela is the chair of the 751/1907 Somalia/Eritrea Sanctions Committee.

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Story credit: allpolitiko

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