US gives UN one more year to wind down Somalia support
MOGADISHU — The United States has agreed to give the United Nations another 12 months to wind down its logistical support for the African Union’s mission in Somalia, giving AUSSOM additional time to seek alternative arrangements for sustaining its operations.
The decision, detailed in a diplomatic note seen by Reuters, means the drawdown will begin in January 2027 rather than ending immediately when the current mandate of the UN Support Office in Somalia expires at the end of December 2026.
The extension does not amount to a renewal of long-term U.S. support. Washington has said it will no longer fund or support the United Nations Support Office in Somalia, known as UNSOS, after the 12-month transition period. The U.S. State Department told Reuters that the office has a total budget of about $500 million.
Why AUSSOM relies on UN logistical support
AUSSOM, the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, plays a role in supporting Somalia’s security and stabilization efforts.
UNSOS provides the mission with essential logistical services, including food, water, fuel, medical services, transportation, engineering support, communications and equipment maintenance. The UN says its mandate covers support for up to 11,826 AUSSOM uniformed personnel, including police, deployed across five sectors and 49 locations in south-central Somalia.
The scale of that logistical operation is significant. UNSOS said in August that it delivers approximately 240 tonnes of food rations each month to AUSSOM and Somali security forces across Somalia.
From an abrupt cutoff to a 12-month transition
In July, Washington informed the African Union that it would oppose continued UN logistical support for AUSSOM when the existing arrangement expires at the end of 2026. The announcement raised concerns about how the mission would maintain its operations without alternative funding and logistical arrangements.
The latest diplomatic note says the United States is willing to support a 12-month drawdown followed by the liquidation of UNSOS. Diplomatic sources and a Somali government source told Reuters that the new countdown will begin in January 2027.
The U.S. State Department said it expected the details of the drawdown to be discussed during UN Security Council deliberations in December. Somalia’s Defence Ministry, UNSOS and the African Union Commission did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
What comes next for AUSSOM
The UN Security Council extended AUSSOM’s mandate through December 31, 2026, under Resolution 2809. The resolution also provides for continued UN logistical support to the mission during the current period.
The mission’s financing remains a challenge. Reuters reported that Washington last year blocked a proposal under which UN funding would have covered three-quarters of AUSSOM’s annual budget of about $190 million.
The additional year gives Somalia, the African Union and international partners more time to identify alternative sources of financing and logistical support. However, no alternative arrangement has yet been publicly confirmed that would fully replace UNSOS after the transition period.
The future of AUSSOM will therefore depend in part on whether new funding and logistical mechanisms can be secured for essential services such as fuel, food, transportation and medical support.
The post The United States Extends AUSSOM Support for Somalia by One Year first appeared on Radio Dalsan.