The African Union held an urgent session on Friday regarding its military operations in Somalia following a United States announcement that it will cease essential financial support. Washington cited a lack of headway in the ongoing campaign against Islamist militants as the primary reason for this move.
For nearly twenty years, Somalia has fought the Al-Shabaab insurgency, yet the militants maintain control over significant territory. The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) currently contributes approximately 12,000 soldiers to assist the local military. However, in a letter dated July 1, the US government informed the African Union that it will stop financing the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS)—the main funding source for AUSSOM—by the end of this year. An unnamed diplomat described the decision as final and suggested the mission is effectively concluding.
Washington also stated it intends to block future UN logistical backing for AUSSOM at the Security Council. Since 2007, the US has invested roughly $2 billion in UN missions in Somalia and provided significant additional aid for local troops and humanitarian efforts. The US letter criticized the Somali government for failing to implement necessary security reforms or maintain momentum against Al-Shabaab.
Meanwhile, Somalia faces significant internal instability and political turmoil. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently extended his term by a year through constitutional changes, a move met with resistance and protests from opposition groups and regional authorities. While initial offensives against Al-Shabaab in 2022 showed promise, many of those victories have since stalled. Analysts warn that internal political infighting among the elite has hampered security transitions, potentially creating an opportunity for Al-Shabaab to regain ground.
