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AU chief warns of Somalia fragility, calls for $196 million to sustain peace mission

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Friday September 26, 2025

New York (HOL) — The African Union’s top official warned
Thursday that Somalia’s fragile gains risk unraveling unless international
partners urgently plug a nearly $200 million funding gap for the continent’s
newest peace mission.

Speaking at a high-level pledging conference on the
sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, African Union Commission Chairperson
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf praised Somalia’s progress — from debt relief to winning a
seat on the UN Security Council — but cautioned that al-Shabaab continues to
menace the country.

“Somalia cannot shoulder this burden alone,” Youssouf said.
“Without urgent, predictable, and sustainable financing, hard-won achievements
risk being undone.”

He underscored that the African Union Support and
Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), launched in January to replace
ATMIS, will require $196 million in 2025. The AU, he noted, has already doubled
its Peace Fund contribution to $20 million, but called on the UN, EU and other
partners to match Africa’s commitment.

Youssouf stressed that AUSSOM will be the AU’s final mission
in Somalia — designed not as an open-ended deployment, but as a bridge to full
Somali ownership of its security. “Together, let us ensure Somalia’s future is
defined by hope, not relapse,” he said.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud chaired the meeting,
which was co-convened by the AU, UN and the United Kingdom. Ministers from
troop-contributing countries and international partners attended the session,
which highlighted both Somalia’s recent strides and the continued dangers posed
by al-Shabaab.

The debate over funding reflects deeper divisions among
donors on how to sustain peace operations in Africa. While some warn that
hybrid financing models risk inefficiency, others argue they are vital to
preserving stability in the Horn of Africa.

AUSSOM, launched in January to replace the African Union
Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), is tasked with consolidating security
gains while handing greater responsibility to Somali forces. ATMIS itself
succeeded the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which began in 2007
and played a pivotal role in counterterrorism operations against al-Shabaab.

The mission’s future, however, is clouded by funding
disputes. Donors remain divided over who should shoulder the costs of
African-led security operations. Critics warn that the hybrid funding model
proposed by the United Nations and the African Union could lead to waste and
inefficiency, while supporters argue it is essential to sustain fragile gains
in the Horn of Africa.

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