The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) has begun preparations for the eventual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces, marking a significant step toward concluding nearly two decades of African Union peace support operations in Somalia.
The transition was discussed during a meeting in Addis Ababa between AUSSOM Head of Mission Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
According to AUSSOM, the discussions focused on preparations for the mission’s transition and the future of Somalia’s security responsibilities.
Ambassador Diene reportedly noted that the United States’ decision to end funding for the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) after 2026 has created serious financial uncertainty for the mission, underscoring the need for Somalia to assume greater responsibility for its own security.
The funding crisis has intensified pressure on the Federal Government to present a credible transition plan outlining how Somali security forces will gradually take over responsibilities currently performed by AUSSOM.
The discussions come ahead of a high-level meeting scheduled for next week in Kampala, bringing together the African Union, the United Nations, the Federal Government of Somalia, and troop-contributing countries.
The conference is expected to determine the future of AUSSOM, including its funding, transition timeline, and long-term security strategy, following weeks of technical consultations among stakeholders.
The mission’s transition comes at a sensitive time, as Somalia continues to face a persistent insurgency by Al-Shabaab while political disagreements over constitutional reforms and the electoral process have complicated efforts to build unified national security institutions.
International partners have repeatedly stressed that any withdrawal or reduction of international forces must be accompanied by a realistic and sustainable security transition to avoid creating a vacuum that militant groups could exploit.