Mogadishu(WDN) — The United Nations has begun reducing personnel and preparing to dispose of part of its operational assets in Somalia, as the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) faces growing financial pressures and uncertainty over the future of international security assistance.

At least 10 civilian staff members working with the AU-UN communications team have reportedly been notified that their contracts will end on September 10, with further reductions expected.

UNSOS is also preparing to dispose equipment that includes of vehicles, generators, medical equipment, computers, containers and other assets used to support international security operations in Somalia.

The developments come as the United States has indicated that it will not continue financing UNSOS after the current mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) expires on December 31, 2026.

The looming reduction in international logistical support raises difficult questions about Somalia’s ability to assume full responsibility for national security after years of substantial international assistance.

The government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has repeatedly emphasized the expansion and professionalization of Somalia’s security forces. On August 16, President Hassan reportedly graduated more than 3,000 newly trained soldiers at Xananbuure, declaring that Somalia was increasingly prepared to take greater responsibility for its own security.

Yet the reduction of international support exposes a deeper challenge: building a larger security force is not the same as building a self-sustaining national security system.

If AUSSOM remains deployed in parts of Somalia beyond the current transition period, questions remain over who will finance the logistics that UNSOS has provided—including transportation, medical support, supplies, equipment and other essential services.

The UN drawdown therefore comes at a critical moment for Somalia. After years of international military, financial and logistical support, the country’s recovery strategy is increasingly being tested by whether its government can translate international assistance into durable national institutions capable of standing on their own.

For critics of the Hassan administration, the developments are evidence of a broader failure to convert years of international backing into meaningful national recovery, institutional capacity and sustainable security. The withdrawal of external support could expose that weakness at precisely the moment Somalia is expected to assume greater responsibility for its own future.

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