The United Nations Security Council expanded sanctions on Eritrea for its alleged support of al-Shabaab and other radical Islamist militants operating in Somalia . . . Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda urged the Security Council to adopt the resolution on December 5 . . . the resolution, sponsored by Nigeria and Gabon, demands Eritrea “cease all direct or indirect efforts to destabilize states” and condemned a diaspora tax . . . the resolution was approved 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining . . . the resolution requires countries with mining companies operating in Eritrea, such as Canadian Nevsun Resources Ltd., to ensure that funds are not diverted to destabilize the region and  it builds upon 2009 UN sanctions that include an arms embargo, travel restrictions and asset freezes on Eritrean leaders . . . Eritrea’s $2.59 billion economy is dependent upon its mining industry . . . the resolution was watered down from an October draft that was deemed too harsh . . . the resolution is unlikely to convince Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki to stop destabilizing the region . . . however, it will placate Eritrea’s neighbors, who are furious over reports that Eritrea was involved in a plot to bomb the African Union summit in Addis Ababa in January and has been aiding al-Shabaab.