This archive report was first published on 9 August 2019.
On August 9, 2019, a group of former US State Department officials and humanitarian figures urged the US to block Kenya's bid to have Al Shabaab blacklisted by the United Nations as a terrorist group.
The proposal, which could be voted on at the UN Security Council, has sparked concerns that it could cripple life-saving relief efforts in Somalia.
According to the critics, the Kenyan proposal would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at risk without any discernible impact on the challenge posed by Al Shabaab.
Eric Schwartz, the head of Refugees International, stated, 'The proposal would put the lives of hundreds of thousands at risk without discernible impact on the challenge posed by al-Shabaab.'
Kenya's proposal would add Al Shabaab to the same UN sanctions regime as Al-Qaeda and ISIL, which does not provide the same exemption for humanitarian assistance.
However, Al Shabaab is already included in a different UN sanctions programme that provides an exemption for humanitarian aid.
Kenya's Foreign Affairs PS, Macharia Kamau, argued that the addition of Al Shabaab to the Al-Qaeda/ISIL sanctions category would focus 'global efforts in tackling the group.'
But opponents of the proposed Shabaab listing are urging the US to block the move altogether, citing concerns that it could jeopardise life-saving relief efforts in Somalia.
