Why UN Security Council extended sanctions on Al Shabaab

Members of United Nations Security Council vote during a past meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, US on February 20, 2024.

Photo credit: Reuters

The UN Security Council (UNSC) last week extended sanctions on Somalia's militant group Al Shabaab, allowing member states to seize vessels delivering weapons to the group it still sees as an elusive threat.

It means the militant group is barred from accessing weapons from the open market and sellers barred from trading with Al Shabaab including buying charcoal from the group.