The persistent financing deficit threatening to undermine the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) was a key point of discussion on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly on Thursday.

A dialogue on AUSSOM financing was co-convened by the UN, African Union, and the UK and Somali governments.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, commended Somalia’s remarkable progress; from debt relief to UN Security Council membership, as well as the sacrifices of AU forces and partners.

He underscored that AUSSOM will require USD 196 million in 2025, and said the AU has already doubled its contribution to the Peace Fund to USD 20 million, demonstrating Africa’s resolve. Yet without urgent, predictable, and sustainable financing, hard-won achievements risk being undone, warned the Chairperson.

Youssouf stressed that AUSSOM is not an open-ended mission; it is the AU’s final operation in Somalia and a bridge to full Somali ownership of its security. With adequate support, it can close the chapter of dependency and usher in a new era of sovereignty, stability, and prosperity, he said.

He reaffirmed the AU’s commitment, noting that Somalia is equally committed, and called on the UN, EU, and all international partners to match this determination. The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2719 in 2023, aimed at funding peacekeeping missions using a new financing model, but the US and the UN itself have been hesitant to apply the resolution to AUSSOM.

The AUC chair urged partners to bridge the financing gap.

Source: The Reporter