The African Union (AU) has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the future of its peace support mission in Somalia after the United States announced it would end critical funding for the operation.
The decision follows Washington’s notification that it will stop financing the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) at the end of the year. UNSOS provides much of the logistical support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which deploys about 12,000 personnel in support of Somalia’s security forces.
In a letter dated 1 July, the United States said it would also oppose any further UN logistical support for AUSSOM at the UN Security Council.
A senior African Union diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed the authenticity of the letter and described the decision as “irreversible”. The diplomat said the AU mission could not continue without UN-backed logistical support.
“Without UN logistics, which were funded by the US, we will have to draw a line under our mission in Somalia,” the diplomat said.
According to a document seen by AFP, the AU Commission called an emergency meeting on Friday to consider the future of AUSSOM in light of the funding decision.
Somalia has been battling the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab for nearly two decades. Despite sustained military operations, the group continues to control large areas of central and southern Somalia.
The United States said it has contributed nearly $2 billion to UN operations in Somalia since 2007 and more than $1.6 billion to support African Union troops deployed in the country. Washington added that it had also provided hundreds of millions of dollars to Somali security forces, alongside billions more in humanitarian and development assistance.
In its letter, the US administration accused Somalia’s government of failing to consolidate military gains against Al-Shabaab, assume greater responsibility for national security, and implement meaningful security sector reforms. It also cited internal political rivalries and infighting as obstacles to progress.
The funding decision comes as Somalia faces renewed political uncertainty.
Earlier this year, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud oversaw constitutional changes that extended his term in office by one year after it expired on 15 May. The move was rejected by opposition groups and several regional administrations, triggering violent clashes in parts of the country, including the capital, Mogadishu.
President Mohamud launched a major military offensive against Al-Shabaab after returning to office in 2022, with government forces initially recapturing significant territory. However, many of those gains have since been reversed, and the militant group continues to maintain a strong presence across parts of central and southern Somalia.
