The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is facing a critical funding shortfall as al Shabaab intensifies its attacks, raising alarm among troop-contributing countries. Kenya, alongside other nations, has called for urgent United Nations financing to prevent the mission’s collapse.
Speaking at an Extra-Ordinary Summit of Troop Contributing Countries in Entebbe, Uganda, Kenyan Deputy President Kithure Kindiki highlighted the urgency of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023), which permits AU missions to access up to 75 per cent of their budgets through UN assessed contributions. Defence CS Soipan Tuya, also present, stressed that sustainable and predictable funding is essential to maintain the hard-earned gains against terrorism.
AUSSOM, which succeeded the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), inherited a $96 million deficit and now faces the challenge of boosting its troop numbers by at least 8,000, alongside enhancing air assets, weapons, and intelligence capabilities. The summit communique underlined the need for coordinated use of existing resources and called for intensified efforts to mobilize additional support.
AU Commission Chairman Mahmoud Youssouf warned that without collective action, the mission risks collapsing, jeopardizing not only Somalia’s stability but also peace across the Horn of Africa and beyond. IGAD executive secretary Worneh Gebeyehu echoed these concerns, noting that the funding gap forces mission commanders into “impossible choices” over basic necessities like fuel and ammunition.
The summit was convened following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Uganda, during which he and President Yoweri Museveni agreed on the need to chart a strategic path to long-term peace under the theme “To Stabilise Somalia.”
As al Shabaab continues its offensive into early 2025, including attacks on military bases in Middle Shabelle, regional leaders are urgently seeking a coordinated approach to fundraising, including potential donor conferences. Without swift action to fully operationalize Resolution 2719, leaders warn that Somalia’s fragile security gains could be quickly reversed.
