U.S. extends National Emergency order in Somalia for 1 year

Sat, Apr 2, 2022

By editor

2 MIN READ

By Kennedy Nnamani

THE United States on Thursday has extended the National Emergency with respect to Somalia for one year in accordance with the Executive Order 13536, signed on April 12, 2010 in pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Power Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706). This was contained in the press statement signed on March 30, by Joseph R. Biden JR., the U.S President.

According to the president, there are still records of continuous, unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States in Somalia “constituted by the situation in and in relation to South Sudan, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations”,  thus the need to continue the Executive Order.

“The national emergency declared on April 12, 2010, and the measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that threat, must continue in effect beyond April 12, 2022.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536,” he said.

Recall that on April 12, 2010, Barack Obama, the then U.S. President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to tackle the threats to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence, piracy and robbery in Somalia; which have been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Also, on July 20, 2012, the President issued Executive Order 13620 to take additional steps to deal with the Order 13536 in view of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2036 of February 22, 2012, and Resolution 2002 of July 29, 2011, to halt exports of charcoal from Somalia, which generate significant revenue for al-Shabaab.

KN