Uganda is hosting a three-day high-level summit beginning today that brings together troop-contributing countries to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), as regional leaders seek to determine the future of the nearly two-decade-long peace mission amid growing security and funding challenges.
The meeting, taking place from July 29–31 at the Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, will convene military chiefs, defense ministers, heads of state, and senior international officials to review Somalia’s security transition, the future of AUSSOM, and the mission’s long-term sustainability.
The event was announced in a statement by Uganda’s Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), delivered by Acting Defence Public Information Officer Colonel Chris Magezi.
The summit comes at a critical moment as Somalia faces mounting pressure to demonstrate that its security forces are prepared to assume greater responsibility ahead of a planned drawdown of African Union forces.
Discussions are also expected to address the severe funding crisis facing AUSSOM following the United States’ decision to end financial support for the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) after December 2026, raising concerns about the mission’s ability to sustain logistics, medical support, transport, and other essential operations.
The program begins with a meeting of Chiefs of Defence Forces on Wednesday, followed by Defence Ministers on Thursday, before concluding on Friday with a summit of Heads of State and Government.
Participating troop-contributing countries include Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Kenya, while Somalia will take part as the host nation of the African Union mission.
Senior representatives from the United Nations, African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are also expected to attend.
Among them are the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, the head of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, senior AU peace and security officials, the Head of AUSSOM, and IGAD’s Deputy Executive Secretary.
Officials are expected to assess the evolving security situation in Somalia, strengthen coordination among troop-contributing countries, and discuss strategies for maintaining pressure on Al-Shabaab while ensuring that Somalia’s security institutions are capable of gradually taking over responsibilities currently carried out by AUSSOM.
Uganda said hosting the summit reflects its longstanding commitment to regional peace and stability.
As the first country to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union mission in 2007, Uganda has remained one of the mission’s largest contributors, playing a central role in efforts to combat Al-Shabaab, secure key infrastructure, and support the development of Somalia’s national security institutions.
Beyond military coordination, the Kampala summit is expected to focus on the political, financial, and logistical support required to sustain AUSSOM during the transition period.
With uncertainty surrounding future international funding and Somalia under increasing pressure to assume full security responsibility, decisions reached in Kampala are expected to shape the next phase of regional security cooperation in the Horn of Africa.