Funding uncertainty shadows AU mission in Somalia ahead of Security Council talks

Efforts to secure funding for the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) are ongoing as the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) prepares to receive updates on the operation of the mission in its session today.

At the top of the discussions will be how to build up on the meagre funding accumulated for the mission so far, with reports indicating that less than 20 per cent of the entire funding required for the period between January to June 2025 has been mobilised.

The meeting is happening days after the extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to AUSSOM held in Kampala, Uganda on 25 April during which the US Ambassador to Uganda William W Popp insisted that Washington would not fund the mission under the AU's recommended UN Security Council Resolution 2719 or under any other hybrid arrangement.

"The US position on AUSSOM funding remains the same as it has been over the past year. The US will not support the application of the 2719 framework to AUSSOM, as we do not believe Somalia is the right context for this application. We also will not support the hybrid model of the 2917 framework as we believe it undercuts the spirit and intent of the resolution," he told the summit.

Troop strength

The revelation coming after the TCCs summit reviewed the security situation in Somalia and assessed the performance of the AUSSOM sector by sector to evaluate its operational effectiveness in combating Al-Shabaab, agreeing on the need to increase troop strength by at least 8,000 additional personnel to address the prevailing security challenges forces the region to look for alternative ways to fund the mission that began operations in January this year after the exit of its predecessor-ATMIS.

The summit had also endorsed the proposal for enhancing air assets and capabilities, as well as strengthening Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), considering the fragmented deployment of AUSSOM TCCs and their limited ability to support Somali Security Forces in conducting mobile operations.

While the mission urgently needs approximately USD96 million to cover the financial costs for the period January to June 2025, the AU has only secured USD16.7 million. The mission requires roughly USD15 million per month to meet its obligations.

Somalia said that since January 2023, the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) have assumed control of 23 forward operating bases (FOBs) from the AU mission. Of these, only one position, Biyo Cade, was recaptured by Al-Shabaab, while the remaining 22 FOBs remain under SNAF control.

The country's representative admitted that Somalia is 'challenged with defeating terrorism and stabilising liberated areas'.

For this reason, money is needed to ensure that the gains made under ATMIS are not reversed.

The AU is urging other partners to follow their example of China and Japan, who have contributed USD1 million and USD3 million, respectively, in support of AUSSOM.

Amani Africa notes that the AU Commission leadership might travel to Washington, D.C., to engage with the US administration and other relevant stakeholders on this matter. This is as a donors' conference previously anticipated to take place in Doha, Qatar, this month, seems not to be taking place as scheduled.

While the TCCs also recommended the allocation of additional resources from the AU Peace Fund to help address the mission's financial shortfalls, the Think Tank warns that this call for use of additional funds from the Fund may face major pushback from various PSC members who express concern that the Peace Fund risks being used as a funding mechanism for AUSSOM while it is meant to cover the peace and security efforts of the AU across the continent.

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• African Union Security Support Mission for Somalia
• Funding uncertainty shadows AU mission in Somalia ahead of Security Council talks
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"The funding challenge now means AUSSOM must move to mitigate against the moral and operational effectiveness of the troops, while urging member states to send troops to fill the needed capacity of about 11,146," the Think Tank notes.

Uganda's Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda to the AU and stand-in Chair of the PSC for April 2025, Rebecca Amuge Otengo and Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), will brief the meeting.

With respect to the decision of the summit for the additional surge of 8000 troops, Amani Africa says the PSC may request the AU Commission to develop a plan on the surge and deployment of the additional troops, including on whether they will be deployed under AUSSOM or bilateral basis.

"PSC may commend the funding contributions that some members of the international community made and the continued commitment of others. It may, echoing the Kampala summit, request the AU Commission to develop a comprehensive Resource Mobilisation Strategy, including through pursuing the implementation of Resolution 2719," it adds.