Somali government calls arms embargo end to defeat al-Shabaab

The Somalian government has called on the international community to lift an international arms embargo, as soldiers battle to regain territory from the armed group al-Shabab.

The Somali president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, said heavy weaponry would allow his government to crush the insurgency and drive the group from the country.

Mohamed, who heads a young, new cabinet in which the international community is placing faith, made the plea at a conference in London convened by UK Prime Minister Theresa May. The event, attended by more than 40 countries, drew international figures including the UN secretary general, António Guterres, and the US defence secretary, James Mattis.

The Somalian president said the 10-year fight against al-Shabaab was lingering because both sides were using AK-47s assault rifles and little in the way of heavy weaponry.

"For far too long, our security forces and terrorist groups have been fighting using the same type of light weapons - mostly AK47s. The longstanding arms embargo on Somalia severely restricts our ability to procure heavy weapons," Mohamed said.

"Time has come for Somalia to be able to get access to qualitatively better equipment and weapons than the terrorists," he added.

Mohamed warned that unless the Somali army had access to more sophisticated arms, the conflict would continue for a further decade.  Any lifting of the arms embargo should be part of a phased political plan, he said.

The UN Security Council placed the country under arms embargo in 1992, months after the outbreak of civil which led to the ouster of long-time President Siad Barre.

The embargo, the longest in the world, was eased in 2013 - allowing Mogadishu to buy light arms - but was not lifted.