African Union holds emergency meeting over U.S. decision to end support for Somalia mission

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The African Union held an emergency meeting Friday to discuss the future of its peace mission in Somalia after the United States announced it would end support for the U.N. office that provides critical logistical assistance to African troops operating in the country.

Military and defense representatives from member states of the African Union Peace and Security Council met at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa to assess the impact of Washington's decision to stop supporting the U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) when the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) expires on Dec. 31, 2026.

According to an African Union document, the U.S. Mission to the African Union formally notified the bloc on July 1 that Washington would no longer back UNSOS, the U.N. support office responsible for providing logistical and operational assistance to AUSSOM.

UNSOS delivers essential services to the mission, including air transport, engineering support, medical services, equipment and other logistical assistance for African Union forces deployed in Somalia.

African Union officials warned the decision could significantly affect AUSSOM's operational capacity, logistics and financing at a time when the mission remains central to efforts to combat the al-Shabab extremist group and support Somalia's security transition.

The emergency meeting, convened under a notice dated July 2, focused on evaluating the consequences of the U.S. decision and identifying immediate measures to address the expected funding shortfall and operational challenges facing the mission.

Representatives from Peace and Security Council member states, including Somalia, Uganda, South Africa and Algeria, discussed possible options to reduce the impact of the funding cut on Somalia's security and stability across the Horn of Africa.

The United States has defended its decision, saying that despite nearly two decades of international support, Somalia has not made sufficient progress in defeating al-Shabab and has yet to assume full responsibility for its own security.

Washington said it has contributed nearly $2 billion to the African Union missions in Somalia since 2007, along with $1.6 billion in bilateral assistance to troop-contributing countries. It also said it has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support to Somalia's security forces and billions more in humanitarian and development assistance.

The African Union has not announced any final decisions following Friday's meeting, but officials discussed possible next steps to ensure continued support for AUSSOM as uncertainty grows over the mission's future funding.

GAROWE ONLINE