AUSSOM faces major challenge as UN Support to Somalia Mission nears end — Gen. Kainerugaba
The CDF revealed that UNSOS had already reduced support to AUSSOM and the United Nations Guard Unit by 25%, a move he said had begun affecting operational effectiveness in the field.
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said troop-contributing countries must urgently develop alternative support arrangements to sustain operations in Somalia. (File photo)
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The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has warned that the African Union mission in Somalia faces a major operational and financial challenge as the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) prepares to end its work by December this year.
Speaking at the opening of the 2nd Extraordinary Summit of African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Troop-Contributing Countries at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, today, Gen Kainerugaba said troop-contributing countries must urgently develop alternative support arrangements to sustain operations in Somalia.
Some of the delegates who attended summit at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala. (Photo by Nelson Mandela Muhoozi)
“This meeting has been convened to allow us to exchange views on the future of our missions in Somalia at a time when the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) is facing serious financial constraints,” Gen Kainerugaba told military chiefs and regional delegates.
“This reduction has had a direct operational impact, forcing our forces to adjust priorities and, in some areas, weakening our effectiveness in the theatre,” Kainerugaba said.
The three-day summit, running from July 29 - 31, has brought together military chiefs, defence ministers and heads of state from Uganda, Somalia, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt and Kenya under the theme “To Sustain the Stabilisation Process in Somalia.”
US position raises concern
Gen. Kainerugaba disclosed that the United States had indicated it would not support renewal of the UN Security Council mandate for AUSSOM if it continued to include UNSOS support, adding further pressure on regional leaders to identify new financing mechanisms.
“That reality compels us, as troop-contributing countries and partners in the mission, to seriously consider alternative arrangements to sustain support for the mission beyond December 2026,” he said.
Delegates are reviewing Somalia’s political and security situation, the readiness of Somali Security Forces, troop deployment and operational capabilities, air assets and force integration, implementation of the April 2025 AUSSOM summit decisions and options for sustaining AU operations after the closure of UNSOS.
Military chiefs are expected to adopt a report later on Wednesday, which will be forwarded to defence ministers meeting on Thursday and subsequently to heads of state who will attend Friday’s summit.
“This makes our deliberations today even more important because the positions we develop here will inform the political and strategic decisions that our heads of state will make,” Gen Kainerugaba said.
Thursday’s ministerial session will feature ministers of defence and foreign affairs from participating countries, senior African Union officials, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development representatives and UN officials, including AU Commissioner Bankole Adeoye and acting UNSOS head Qurat-Ain Sadozai.
The summit will conclude on Friday with a closed meeting of heads of state and government, who will adopt a joint communiqué expected to outline regional decisions on security cooperation, financing and the future of AUSSOM.
Gen Kainerugaba called for unity among participating countries, saying the mission’s future depended on the quality of decisions taken in Kampala.
“The future of our mission, and the sacrifice and progress we have all made together in Somalia, depend on the quality of the decisions we make at moments like this,” he said.