The United States has agreed to extend UN support for AUSSOM by another year, providing crucial logistical assistance as the African Union mission faces uncertainty over its long-term funding.
UNITED NATIONS (Somali Report) — The United States has agreed to give the United Nations an additional year to maintain support for the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia, according to a document seen by Somali Report, easing concerns over a faster withdrawal of funding.
The agreement would allow the UN to continue providing logistical and operational support to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which replaced the previous AU mission in January 2025.
The decision comes as AUSSOM faces uncertainty over its long-term financing, with international partners under pressure to provide predictable and sustainable funding for the mission.
UN support is primarily delivered through the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), which provides essential logistical assistance to AUSSOM. Its support includes food, fuel, transport, medical services, communications and equipment, as well as assistance with maintaining facilities used by AU forces.
The additional year is expected to give AUSSOM more time to plan for changes to the international support system and strengthen arrangements for the eventual transition to Somali security forces.
The mission is tasked with supporting Somalia's federal government in protecting key population centres, strengthening national security institutions and conducting operations against Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked armed group that has waged an insurgency for more than a decade.
AUSSOM's future has been closely tied to international funding, with the United States previously pushing for reforms to the way peacekeeping operations in Somalia are financed.
Washington has been the largest contributor to international security assistance for Somalia, while the United Nations and other international partners have provided financial, logistical and technical support.
The document was issued by the U.S. office responsible for African Union affairs in Addis Ababa, according to the information provided.
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The move provides some breathing room for AUSSOM at a time when the mission has warned of the consequences of funding shortages.
The African Union has repeatedly called for reliable and sustainable financing, arguing that predictable funding is essential for maintaining troop deployments and carrying out operations.
Somalia's security forces remain at the centre of plans to eventually assume full responsibility for national security. AUSSOM is therefore intended to serve as part of a gradual transition rather than a permanent international military presence.
The mission currently operates alongside Somali forces in several parts of the country, where Al-Shabaab retains the ability to launch attacks despite government and allied military operations.
The group has carried out attacks against security forces, government institutions and civilians, including bombings and raids in the capital Mogadishu and other parts of central and southern Somalia.
The extension of UN support does not resolve the broader question of how AUSSOM will be financed beyond the additional year.
African Union officials and Somali authorities have continued to call on international partners to provide sufficient resources to prevent gaps in security operations.
The United Nations has also warned that inadequate funding could undermine gains made against Al-Shabaab and complicate the transfer of security responsibilities to Somali forces.
For now, the additional year gives AUSSOM and its partners more time to prepare for the next phase of Somalia's security transition, while leaving unresolved the longer-term financial arrangements needed to sustain the mission.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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