The African Union called an emergency meeting to address the future of its military mission in Somalia after the United States notified the continental body that it will not provide funding for the mission beyond 31 December, according to Issafrica. The decision threatens to end operations for the nearly 12,000-strong African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which relies heavily on United States funds and United Nations logistical support to cover vital operational costs.
Emergency African Union Meeting Called After US Cuts Funding for Somalia Mission
Washington stated that the decision stems from the Somali government’s lack of progress in containing the Islamist al-Shabaab group, reforming its security sector, or taking ownership of its own security functions, according to Africanews. Officials indicated that the United States will also block any further UN logistical support to the mission at the Security Council.
Stakes for Regional Security and Logistics Support
The AU peacekeeping force props up the fragile government in Mogadishu, helping push back al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants who control large swaths of the countryside in southern and central Somalia and whose previous offensives have brought them close to the capital. The mission depends on the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) for essential non-lethal support, including food, fuel, medical services, engineering, transport, and communications for its nearly 12,000 personnel deployed alongside 20,900 Somali Security Forces.
Diplomatic sources and officials reported that AUSSOM would likely collapse without UN logistics. Ahmed Koshin, a former director general in Somalia’s defense ministry and current member of the national parliament, stated that the move will have huge ramifications for the country because the peacekeeping mission remains in danger when forces cannot be properly supported and sustained.
Political Crisis and Reform Concerns Compound Strains
Washington delivered a critical assessment of Somalia’s efforts, noting that internal rivalries and political infighting continue to undermine the fight against al-Shabaab and ISIS. Deeply fragmented Somalia is currently experiencing a political crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud changed the constitution, extending his term in office by another year. Opposition parties and regional governments, including Jubaland and Puntland, rejected the changes, leading to violent clashes in several parts of the country, including Mogadishu.
Zekarias Beshah, an analyst with the Amani Africa think-tank in Ethiopia, noted that Somali forces were supposed to gradually take responsibility for security, but it is not happening because the political elite is too busy infighting, adding that a major advance by al-Shabaab cannot be ruled out.
Future Options and Transition Uncertainty
AUSSOM replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in January 2025 to support Somali security forces as they gradually assume full responsibility for national security. While Washington indicated it does not oppose extending AUSSOM’s mandate provided it is financed through alternative arrangements, it opposed using UN Resolution 2719 to fund the mission, asserting that conditions had not been met for an immediate transition to UN financing.
As the African Union Peace and Security Council weighs options for sustaining the mission, previous efforts to secure alternative financing—including approaching Arab countries last year—yielded little known outcome, leaving the continent to consider its next steps amid mounting financial and security pressures.
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