- Events
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) held national capacity consultations on countering the terrorist use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Mogadishu, Federal Republic of Somalia, on 2 March 2026. The consultations were organized in cooperation with the Government of Somalia, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and held in the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
During the opening session, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Security of Somalia emphasized that terrorist groups, particularly Al-Shabaab, have increasingly relied on IEDs as a weapon of choice, inflicting severe civilian harm, and that Da'esh affiliates have likewise enhanced their operational capabilities, including through the recruitment of munitions experts and the use of more sophisticated technologies.
Representatives from seven national institutions took part in the review of Somalia's legislative, operational, and technical readiness against the IED threat and identification of national priorities for strengthening the response to this threat.
Over the course of the day, participants engaged in ten sessions on Somalia’s response to the IED threat, including:
- An overview of the evolving threat of terrorists’ use of IEDs in Somalia and the region. UNMAS Somalia highlighted the rising number of incidents as well as the increased national response capacities.
- A CTED-led session on Somalia's international and regional legal commitments and its national legislative and coordination mechanisms. This included a presentation on Somalia's Counter-IED strategy and its links to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda.
- Systematic threat and risk assessments and progress against Somalia's National Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
- Operational and technical readiness across detection, investigation, and response, including customs and border controls of dual-use materials, forensic analysis of recovered evidence, and render-safe and scene-exploitation capabilities.
- Staffing, equipment, and technical capacity needed to sustain these efforts over the long term.
The consultations concluded with a presentation of preliminary findings by CTED, UNOCT, and the Federal Government of Somalia, identifying concrete national priorities to guide follow-up action. The findings from Somalia's consultations, together with similar exercises in Kenya and Uganda, will inform a regional road map reflecting common trends across Eastern Africa.
Background
The national capacity consultations form part of a three-year regional project aimed at enhancing the security of Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda against IED threats by strengthening legislative frameworks, building operational capacities of national authorities, and enhancing inter-agency and regional cooperation. These consultations were held within the framework of the UNOCT Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Use of Weapons, with funding provided by Global Affairs Canada.
