Somalia must not allow rivalry to waste partners’ timely sacrifices
For a country that has spent nearly two decades fighting its way back from state collapse, a rushed or poorly managed drawdown of AUSSOM could jeopardise the security gains.
Somalia’s political leaders must urgently find common ground as the country’s security and political future faces a looming threat.
The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which replaced the previous AU mission at the beginning of 2025, is facing an uncertain future after the United States decided to withdraw financial and logistical support for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) at the end of this year. UNSOS provides the logistical backbone that enables AUSSOM to operate.
