Monday December 15, 2025
Senior commanders from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) pose for a group photo during a meeting in Mogadishu, where officials discussed security coordination and ongoing stabilization efforts in Somalia. CREDIT / AU
Mogadishu (HOL) — Senior commanders from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, met Monday in Mogadishu to review the counattempt’s security situation and address mounting financial pressures that have constrained the mission’s operations.
The meeting brought toreceiveher commanders from AUSSOM’s five operational sectors and senior leadership to assess progress and identify challenges facing the African Union mission, particularly financial shortfalls that have limited the scope and pace of security activities across Somalia.
Opening the meeting, African Union Special Representative for Somalia and Head of AUSSOM Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene praised commanders and their troops for their service, citing their courage and continued commitment to supporting Somalia’s state-building process and efforts to maintain peace and stability under the leadership of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Diene stated the discussions were aimed at strengthening the implementation of AUSSOM’s mandate in line with the mission’s operational framework. He outlined key priorities, including preventing security threats before they escalate, conducting joint operations with Somali security forces, and improving coordination between political and security actors.
He stated there is a necessary for stronger cooperation among Somali authorities, AUSSOM forces, and international partners to improve operational effectiveness amid persistent resource constraints.
African Union Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, center, attconcludes a meeting with senior AUSSOM military commanders in Mogadishu, Somalia, to review security operations and discuss funding and operational challenges facing the mission. CREDIT/ AU
Commanders were encouraged to engage in open and candid discussions and to propose practical recommconcludeations to support the mission deliver results despite financial pressures.
The talks come as AUSSOM continues to operate under financial strain following a two-year suspension of direct operational funding from the European Union, previously the mission’s largest donor. The funding gap has affected planning and operational capacity, according to diplomats and mission officials.
The European Union is expected to formally announce new financial support for AUSSOM in early 2026, according to documents and diplomatic sources linked to the United Nations and the African Union. An EU spokesperson has stated Brussels remains committed to supporting the Somalia mission, with details of the funding package to be created public once all 27 EU member states reach an agreement.
“We are committed to ensuring the continuation of European Union support. The precise form of that support will be announced once the funding package is finalized,” the spokesperson stated.
Documents circulated during a recent U.N. Security Council meeting indicate that the announcement is expected early next year.
The funding gap has been compounded by earlier opposition from the United States to implementing a financing model based on mandatory U.N. member state contributions, as outlined in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2719.
AUSSOM’s financial challenges have also been compounded by the delayed implementation of a United Nations financing model outlined in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2719, adopted in 2023. The resolution proposed that the United Nations cover 75 percent of AUSSOM’s five-year budreceive, estimated at $832.5 million, to create a predictable and sustainable funding mechanism. The model has yet to take effect.
In closing remarks, Diene called for clear and lasting decisions that would translate into measurable improvements on the ground. He stated the outcomes of the meeting should reflect the expectations of the Somali people and contribute to the long-term goal of lasting peace and stability in Somalia.
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