WASHINGTON - Today, President Obama signed an Executive
Order (E.O.), "Taking Additional Steps to Address the
National Emergency with Respect to Somalia," providing
the U.S. Department of the Treasury with expanded
authority to target, in consultation with the State
Department, individuals and entities that contribute to
the deterioration of the security situation and the
persistence of violence in Somalia.
The E.O. makes clear that the United States is committed
to supporting Somalia and the international community's
efforts to promote the peace, security, and stability of
Somalia. The E.O. further demonstrates that the United
States will take the steps necessary to target those who
inhibit or obstruct these goals.
This E.O. gives explicit authority to the Treasury
Department to sanction individuals, wherever they may be
located, who are acting to misappropriate Somali public
assets. It also targets political or military leaders who
are recruiting or using children as soldiers in the armed
conflict in Somalia as well as those who are responsible
for committing certain acts of violence against Somali
civilians, including acts of sexual and gender-based
violence.
"By expanding our ability to impose sanctions on those
engaged in despicable acts of violence in Somalia, the
United States is once again demonstrating its full
support for the Somali people," said Under Secretary for
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. "We
are also taking aim, in coordination with the
international community, to cut off a key source of
revenue for al-Shabaab."
To implement United Nations Security Council Resolution
2036 adopted unanimously on February 22, 2012, the E.O.
prohibits the importation of charcoal from Somalia into
the United States and authorizes the Treasury Department,
in consultation with the State Department, to sanction
those who have engaged, directly or indirectly, in the
import or export of charcoal from Somalia on or after
February 22, 2012. Internationally, the sale of charcoal
is a significant revenue source for al-Shabaab, a
U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The United States remains focused on working with its
partners in Somalia, the region, and the international
community to deter those threatening the peace, security,
or stability in Somalia. It is crucial that the trade in
charcoal from Somalia be prohibited to diminish this
source of al-Shabaab's revenue and further discourage the
group from engaging in terrorist acts. In addition to
being a significant revenue stream for al-Shabaab, the
production of charcoal has led to environmental
degradation that has contributed to the on-going
humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. The United
States will continue to monitor the situation in Somalia,
and the Treasury Department stands ready to exercise the
authority provided in today's E.O. to target those
persons who would jeopardize the security situation in
Somalia.
###
Recommend:
