Leaders of countries contributing troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have called on the United Nations Security Council to extend UN logistical and operational support for the mission by up to two years, warning that a premature withdrawal could create a dangerous security vacuum and undermine Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab.

In a communiqué issued Friday at the conclusion of a special summit in Kampala, Uganda, the leaders urged the Security Council to authorize continued UN support for an additional 18 to 24 months.

They said the extension would allow for a gradual, coordinated, and conditions-based transition while strengthening Somalia’s security institutions and enabling Somali forces to progressively assume full responsibility for national security.

The leaders stressed that continued UN-mandated support is essential to implement agreed transition measures, reinforce the capacity of Somalia’s security institutions, and ensure an orderly transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces.

The summit also emphasized the importance of preserving Somalia’s unity, rebuilding public confidence in state institutions, and advancing democratic governance.

Regional leaders called on Somali political stakeholders to place national interests above political divisions and identity-based politics, arguing that greater political cohesion is critical to sustaining recent security gains and long-term stability.

The communiqué praised troop-contributing countries for their sacrifices in the fight against Al-Shabaab and paid tribute to peacekeepers who have been killed or injured during operations in Somalia.

Leaders also appealed to international partners to provide additional financial assistance to address AUSSOM’s growing funding shortfall, warning that the mission’s effectiveness could be severely weakened without sustained donor support.

They urged both the Federal Government of Somalia and troop-contributing countries to intensify military operations against Al-Shabaab while encouraging traditional and emerging international partners to continue backing AUSSOM and Somalia’s security transition.

The summit agreed that its recommendations would first be submitted to the African Union Peace and Security Council for endorsement before being forwarded to the UN Security Council for consideration.

The appeal comes as AUSSOM faces mounting financial pressure following reductions in international donor funding, including the United States’ decision to end financial support for the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) after December 2026.

The mission is also grappling with funding gaps caused by lower-than-expected troop contributions and declining assistance from several key donors.

The Kampala summit brought together Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and leaders or representatives from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Egypt, alongside senior officials from the African Union, United Nations, and IGAD.

Among those in attendance were AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye, IGAD Deputy Executive Secretary Mohamed Abdi Ware, Acting Head of the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) Raisedon Zenenga, and Acting Assistant Secretary-General and Head of UNSOS Qurat-Ul-Ain Sadozai.

The summit highlighted growing regional concern that sustained international support for AUSSOM remains essential to prevent security setbacks as Somalia continues its gradual transition toward assuming full responsibility for its national security.

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.

The African Union Commission has sent an urgent diplomatic communication to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Somalia in Addis Ababa, outlining key preparations for high-level consultations that will determine the future of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

In the communication, the African Union invited the Federal Government of Somalia to participate in a series of strategic consultations scheduled for July 22–23, 2026, in Addis Ababa, followed by an experts’ meeting on July 24.

The outcomes of these discussions will form the basis for meetings of Chiefs of Defence Forces, Defence Ministers, and an Extraordinary Summit of AUSSOM Troop-Contributing Countries, which are set to take place in Kampala, Uganda, from July 29 to 31.

The African Union Commission urged the Somali government to urgently nominate its delegation for both the Addis Ababa and Kampala meetings to allow sufficient time for administrative, protocol, and security preparations.

The Commission also made it clear that the Federal Government of Somalia will be responsible for covering all expenses related to the participation of its representatives in the consultations.

According to the AU communication, the consultations will focus on strategic options for the future of the African Union’s presence in Somalia.

Discussions are expected to cover operational, political, financial, legal and force-structure issues, as well as mission support and transition planning.

The recommendations emerging from the meetings will be submitted to the African Union’s political decision-making bodies, which are expected to determine the future direction of AUSSOM amid growing uncertainty over the mission’s long-term funding and mandate.

African Union (AU) member states are increasingly questioning how long the continent can sustain its peace support mission in Somalia, as shrinking international funding raises the possibility of an earlier-than-planned withdrawal of African troops.

During an emergency meeting of military advisers to the AU Peace and Security Council, Cameroon and Gabon stressed that every peace support operation must eventually come to an end.

The two countries urged Somalia to accelerate efforts to build self-sufficient national security institutions capable of assuming full responsibility for the country’s security, signaling a notable shift from previous discussions that focused on securing additional international funding for the mission.

Their remarks reflect growing concern among African governments over the financial and political burden of maintaining an open-ended military presence in Somalia.

The debate has intensified after the United States informed the African Union that it will no longer support the UN logistics package backing the mission beyond December 31, 2026, raising fresh uncertainty over the future of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

According to meeting documents, the end of U.S. support would leave AUSSOM facing severe logistical challenges unless an alternative funding mechanism is secured.

The African Union has warned that losing the UN-backed logistical support would significantly affect the mission’s operational capabilities.

AUSSOM’s Heavy Reliance on UN Support

AUSSOM officially replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) on January 1, 2025, following authorization by the UN Security Council to continue supporting Somali forces in the fight against Al-Shabaab and ISIS while gradually transferring security responsibilities to Somali institutions.

The mission depends heavily on the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) for essential services, including food supplies, fuel, air transport, medical evacuations, strategic logistics, transportation, and equipment support.

AU officials warn that without this network, maintaining military bases, reinforcing vulnerable towns, and evacuating wounded personnel from combat zones in southern and central Somalia would become increasingly difficult.

For more than two decades, international partners have financed the majority of African Union peace operations in Somalia. The European Union has contributed nearly €2.8 billion since 2007 and approved an additional €75 million in April.

The United States has provided roughly $1.6 billion in bilateral support to troop-contributing countries and another $2 billion through UNSOS and its predecessor, while the United Kingdom and other international partners have also provided significant assistance.

However, donor support has come under increasing pressure as governments redirect resources to other global crises and call for Somalia to assume greater responsibility for its own security.

For the 2025–2026 financial year, AUSSOM required approximately $190 million to reimburse troop-contributing countries, but the African Union has secured commitments for only about $120 million.

AU Considers Exit Options

Military advisers discussed three possible scenarios for the mission’s future: a phased withdrawal of AU troops, continuation of the mission through bilateral donor funding replacing UNSOS, or maintaining a smaller regional force financed through bilateral or hybrid arrangements.

The latter two options attracted limited support because they would still require African countries to sustain an expensive military operation without guaranteed long-term external funding. As a result, a managed withdrawal—once viewed as the least desirable outcome—is increasingly being seen by several member states as the most realistic option.

Uganda, the largest troop contributor to AU missions in Somalia since 2007, has also begun calling for a clear exit strategy. Officials in Kampala have warned that Uganda “cannot remain in Somalia forever.” Morocco said it would announce its position after domestic consultations, while Ethiopia reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Somalia’s security efforts.

Security Risks Remain High

Despite discussions about a possible withdrawal, security analysts caution that a premature exit could have serious consequences. Al-Shabaab continues to control or influence large rural areas and regularly carries out attacks against Somali security forces, African Union personnel, and government targets in Mogadishu.

Although Somalia’s armed forces have expanded through years of international training, analysts say they still face significant logistical challenges and lack the independent operational capacity needed to secure the country without external support.

Mohamed Daud Ismail, a senior research assistant with the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), warned that without urgent international funding, AUSSOM could face operational collapse as it enters 2027.

He noted that losing UN logistical support would leave strategic towns and supply routes increasingly vulnerable, weaken medical evacuation capabilities, and potentially create new opportunities for Al-Shabaab to exploit security gaps.

The debate marks a significant shift in the international conversation surrounding Somalia. Rather than focusing solely on extending support for Somalia’s security transition, AU member states are increasingly discussing how and when the mission should conclude without creating a security vacuum that militant groups could exploit.

For Somalia, the message emerging from African capitals is becoming increasingly clear: while foreign troops and international donors remain essential for now, their support is unlikely to continue indefinitely.