African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia

The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) is a peacekeeping operation led by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council. Its operations began on 1 January 2025. It is the successor to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), whose mandate ended on 31 December 2024. The stated objective is to assist Somali security forces in the gradual handover of security responsibilities while the conflict with Al-Shabaab continues.

AUSSOM is the third phase of African military presence in Somalia, following AMISOM (2007–2022) and ATMIS (2022–2024). The overall plan envisages the complete withdrawal of the African Union presence by 2029, at which point Somali national forces would assume full security responsibility. From the outset of operations, however, the mission has faced persistent funding shortfalls and disagreements among donors over financing arrangements.

Foundations and legal mandate

The African Union Peace and Security Council, in its 1225th meeting held in Addis Ababa on 1 August 2024, approved the Concept of Operations (CONOPs) for the mission and established AUSSOM. The United Nations Security Council then adopted Resolution 2767 (2024) on 27 December 2024—with 14 votes in favour and one abstention—authorizing AUSSOM for one year. Subsequently, on 23 December 2025, the Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2809 (2025), extending the mandate to 31 December 2026 and authorizing a personnel ceiling of up to 11,826 uniformed personnel, including 680 police officers.

Troop and police contributors

Troop and police contributing countries include Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Egypt; police personnel are also expected from Egypt, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. Burundi, which participated for an extended period in previous African Union operations in Somalia, became embroiled in a dispute with the Somali government over troop numbers. The withdrawal of forces from ATMIS was planned for completion by 30 June 2025. An urgent meeting of troop-contributing countries held in Entebbe, Uganda, on 25 April 2025, called for an increase in troop strength of at least 8,000 personnel to be achieved through bilateral agreements.

Financing and the Resolution 2719 dispute

Resolution 2767 envisaged implementing from 1 July 2025 a modified version of Resolution 2719 (2023)—which enables United Nations assessed contributions to finance African Union operations—using a cost-sharing mechanism that combines UN, African Union, and other donor funding. A Security Council meeting on 12 May 2025 approved this arrangement, following initial opposition from the United States. As a result, AUSSOM relies on short-term pledges from multiple donors.

The largest expenditure category is military personnel costs, calculated at $828 per deployed person per month. A May 2025 report by the UN Secretary-General estimated a funding gap of $38.5 million against a total budget of $154.7 million; the UN Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOS), which provides logistical support, faced a shortfall of $130 million. A high-level meeting held in New York in September 2025 during the General Assembly's eightieth session saw the African Union announce pledges of up to $180 million, though no major new donor commitments materialized.

2026 outlook and future questions

On 1 July 2026, the United States mission to the African Union informed the AU Commission that the United States would not support continuation of UNSOS beyond 31 December 2026, though it did not rule out renewal of AUSSOM's mandate itself. This prompted a second urgent meeting of troop-contributing countries, held in Kampala on 31 July 2026. The meeting statement called upon the Security Council to authorize a unified integrated support operation lasting 18 to 24 months to prevent security vacuums while the Somali military is built. Resolution 2809 also decided that the UN Transition Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) would cease all operations on 31 October 2026.