Somalia’s prolonged political instability and weak state authority have allowed Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, and ISIS-Somalia to establish persistent terrorist networks across the country and the wider region. Despite years of counter-terrorism operations by the Somali government, the African Union and international partners, these organisations continue to exploit weak governance, illicit financing, arms trafficking and regional instability to strengthen their operations.

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The security crisis also extends beyond Somalia’s borders into the Gulf of Aden, where piracy, arms smuggling and other illicit maritime networks continue to threaten one of the world’s major shipping routes. These maritime threats can also intersect with terrorist networks, creating new challenges for regional and international security. Reported links between Al-Shabaab and the Houthis in Yemen have further raised concerns about the movement of weapons, resources and expertise across the Gulf of Aden.

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Neighbouring countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti face direct security threats from terrorism, arms trafficking and instability. At the same time, major international powers, including the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France, have strategic, military and maritime interests in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden. Their involvement can provide important security assistance, but competing foreign interests may also increase tensions and complicate regional cooperation.

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The committee must therefore address terrorism on land alongside piracy, arms trafficking and other illicit networks at sea, recognising that these threats are increasingly interconnected. Delegates must find a balance between strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation and respecting Somalia’s sovereignty and its long-term ability to provide security independently.

The central challenge for the committee is to dismantle these interconnected security threats while strengthening Somalia’s institutions and regional cooperation, without allowing foreign intervention, political instability or competing strategic interests to further deepen the crisis.