UN prepares for potential closure in Somalia, puts mission assets up for sale 

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) has issued a public tender seeking auctioneers to liquidate a vast inventory of equipment, signaling a potential wind-down of operations as the mission faces a critical funding cutoff from the United States.

The request for expressions of interest, published Aug. 6 on the UN Global Marketplace, seeks qualified firms to manage the "commercial sale" of assets ranging from vehicles and heavy construction machinery to medical laboratories and modular housing units.

The move comes as the UN prepares for the potential closure of its logistical support branch by Dec. 31, 2026. On July 1, the U.S. government formally notified the African Union that it would cease funding for UNSOS when the current mandate for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) expires at the end of the year.

Washington, which provides approximately 26% of the UNSOS budget, has signaled it will block any UN Security Council proposal to maintain the existing logistical funding mechanism for AUSSOM. Officials familiar with internal planning say staff has been warned to prepare for every eventuality, including a total office closure within the next five months.

Acting Head of UNSOS Qurat ul Ain Sadozai has described the situation as a critical juncture for the mission’s future in the country.

The planned sale has drawn immediate scrutiny from anti-corruption advocates, who warn that disposing of millions of dollars in assets in a high-risk environment lacks sufficient public oversight. Somalia remains tied with South Sudan at the bottom of Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Critics point to a 2025 internal audit by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) that identified significant systemic failures within UNSOS, including a 30% vacancy rate in the procurement section and incomplete records management regarding property disposal.

Civil society analysts in Mogadishu have noted that the auction notice provides no clear mechanism for independent monitoring, arguing that selling off mission infrastructure without transparency risks undermining public trust and could facilitate the illicit diversion of state-owned assets.

UNSOS is seeking firms with a physical presence in Somalia, valid licenses, and registration via the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM). The window for submissions is exceptionally brief; companies have until Aug. 11—just five days after the initial notice—to register their interest. The initial contract is set for three months, with three optional three-month extensions pending satisfactory performance. The UN reserves the right to cancel the requirement or split awards among multiple vendors.

High-level diplomatic discussions remain underway in New York, Addis Ababa, and Mogadishu as officials scramble to find a replacement funding model for AUSSOM. However, military planners warn that without the integrated logistical backbone provided by UNSOS, the African Union mission may become operationally unsustainable, potentially forcing a premature withdrawal of peacekeepers from the country.

GAROWE ONLINE