A new UN Security Council Panel of Experts Report is out. As expected, the report extensively focuses on the nefarious role played by the formal and informal banking sector in Somalia in facilitating terrorism. But beyond that, this year’s report is grossly underwhelming.

The Panel of Experts which saw serious restrictions, thanks to the successful lobbying of the Somali gov’t to confine investigations to Al Shabab & other politically inconsequential issues. The result speaks for itself.

In previous years, the UN investigators have uncovered serious corruptions and wrongdoings by Somali officials such as the asset recovery program, Soma Oil & Gas scandal & the assassination campaign in Mogadishu run by attack-dogs of current gov’t.

For whatever reason, certain western countries have decided that such issues shouldn’t be investigated. In a country with nonfunctional regulatory & investigatory bodies, decision tantamount to writing a blank check to thieves.

Decision gave impunity to FGS & even basic facts such as volume of terror attacks seems to be distorted to fit FGS rhetoric of reforms.

A serious disservice, especially to the Somali ppl, who have in recent years relied on such reports to understand the nature & magnitude of the corruption and crimes committed by their government.

With the serious restrictions and redlines, one wonders what the point of keeping the PoE is? Somalis live the evils of Al Shabab everyday; they don’t outsiders telling them about their evil.

The real issue, as far as the Somali ppl are concerned, is the crimes and corruption carried out in their name by a government funded, protected & enabled by the international community.