Somalia, AU race to secure funding for AUSSOM ahead of UN Security Council Summit 

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The African Union and Somalia's federal government are still scrambling to secure funding for foreign troops deployed in southern Somalia, ahead of discussions at the UN Security Council in New York over the future of the mission.

The forces are increasingly being divided into separate arrangements. Somalia is negotiating directly with frontline countries, including Uganda, on bilateral agreements that would allow their troops to remain in the country without operating under the African Union's name. Funding is still being sought for Ugandan troops, who control the strategically important Halane area near Mogadishu's airport.

Somalia has also approached Arab countries for financial support, but the commitments received so far have fallen short of what is needed to guarantee continued funding. Somali officials have sent representatives to seek assistance, with some returning empty-handed weeks ago while others remain engaged in the effort.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said in October 2022 that Somalia would bid farewell to its last foreign soldier by December 2024. But that deadline passed as Al-Shabaab regained several areas previously captured by government forces, prompting Mogadishu to acknowledge the continued need for international military support.

The Somali government now says the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) remains necessary until at least 2028, despite the original plan for Somali forces to gradually assume responsibility for national security.

Mogadishu has told Uganda that funding could be secured to keep its troops in Somalia for an additional year, but neither side has publicly provided details of the proposed arrangement. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to secure Arab financing are continuing as the AU and Somalia seek a sustainable funding formula before the issue reaches the UN Security Council.

GAROWE ONLINE