The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2806 on 12 December 2025, renewing and tightening measures against Al‑Shabaab. In the UK explanation of vote, Ambassador James Kariuki welcomed the consensus outcome and framed the package around constraining arms, disrupting finances and supporting Somali capabilities.
Under Resolution 2806, authorisations for maritime interdiction to enforce the arms embargo, the charcoal export ban and controls on improvised explosive device (IED) components run until 30 November 2026. The mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the sanctions regime is renewed until 31 December 2026.
These steps sit within a framework set by Resolution 2713 (2023), which created a dedicated Al‑Shabaab regime and imposed a general arms embargo on the group, and Resolution 2714 (2023), which lifted the 1992 embargo on the Federal Government of Somalia. Government security institutions remain outside the scope of the Al‑Shabaab embargo.
Maritime enforcement continues the model first authorised in Resolution 2182 (2014) and expanded in Resolution 2607 (2021): Member States may inspect vessels in Somali waters and in defined high‑risk sea lanes, including parts of the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf, on ‘reasonable grounds’ of carrying prohibited items.
The UK statement also highlighted the ongoing campaign against Islamic State in Somalia and flagged concern about flows of weapons from Yemen, urging closer coordination between the 2713 (Al‑Shabaab) and 2140 (Yemen) Sanctions Committees. This mirrors earlier Council exchanges linking interdiction efforts in Somalia with Yemen‑related smuggling risks.
What the committees do in practice: the 2713 Committee oversees the Al‑Shabaab regime, including the arms embargo on non‑state actors, asset freezes, travel bans, and the charcoal and IED‑components bans; the 2140 Committee oversees Yemen sanctions first established in 2014. In 2025, the 2713 Committee is chaired by Panama’s representative Eloy Alfaro de Alba; the 2140 Committee is chaired by the Republic of Korea’s Joonkook Hwang.
A review track also continues. In March 2025 the Council adopted Resolution 2776, which requested a technical assessment of the Al‑Shabaab arms embargo; the Secretary‑General submitted that assessment on 24 October 2025. Resolution 2806 renews measures into 2026 as members consider further adjustments against that evidence base.
Attention now turns to the AUSSOM mandate. The Council endorsed the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia in Resolution 2767 (27 December 2024), authorising up to 12,626 personnel and signalling a path to predictable financing under Resolution 2719 (2023). The UK indicated it will work closely with Somalia and Council members as the next phase is finalised.
For operators, obligations remain clear. Shipping lines and insurers should plan for continued inspections across the specified maritime areas and ensure charterparties, compliance clauses and war‑risk coverage reflect the ‘reasonable grounds’ standard, potential delays and seizures. Charcoal remains prohibited, and companies dealing in chemicals listed for IED manufacture should expect heightened scrutiny and record‑keeping demands.
Financial institutions should continue screening against 2713 listings and apply the humanitarian carve‑out confirmed by Resolution 2664 (2022). For NGOs and media, exemptions for protective gear and certain non‑lethal equipment still apply under defined conditions; programmes should factor in notifications and documentation requirements set by the Committee.