Kenya warns UN of looming funding crisis in Somalia Mission, calls for sustainable financing

Kenya has sounded the alarm over a growing funding shortfall threatening the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), warning that the gap risks undoing years of hard-won security gains.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi reaffirmed Nairobi's commitment to maintaining its 3,000 troops in Somalia but urged the international community to adopt a predictable and sustainable financing framework.

"Financial uncertainty undermines mission readiness, emboldens extremist groups, and threatens to reverse the hard-won gains our forces have achieved through years of sacrifice and solidarity," Mudavadi cautioned.

He said Kenya supports the implementation of UN Resolution 2719 (2023), particularly through a hybrid financing model anchored on UN-assessed contributions to guarantee steady support for AU-led peace operations.

The proposed mechanism, he noted, should comprehensively cover troop stipends, logistics, mobility, and operational needs to ensure both predictability and effectiveness.

Mudavadi also acknowledged the persistent lack of consensus within the UN Security Council on applying the resolution, urging global partners to bridge differences and sustain Somalia's stabilisation efforts.

"We must advance the implementation of Resolution 2719 to secure adequate financing for AU-led missions like AUSSOM," he said. "Such a framework must reflect both the urgency and importance of continued support for Somalia's peace and stability."

Kenya, a long-time security anchor in the Horn of Africa, has played a critical role in regional counterterrorism operations since its initial deployment to Somalia in 2011.

But with the AUSSOM mandate set to expire at the end of 2025, and donor fatigue growing, Nairobi's latest appeal underscores the mounting financial and operational pressure on regional peace enforcement efforts.

"Kenya remains steadfast in this mission, standing shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Somalia in pursuit of a peaceful and secure region," Mudavadi concluded.

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• Kenya warns UN of looming funding crisis in Somalia Mission
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