AU panic as US pulls Somalia peace keeping funding

The African Union (AU) is scrambling to find funding for its peace keeping mission in Somalia after the US indicated that it would no longer financially support the UN's ongoing efforts to stabilise the volatile country, notes Legalbrief Africa. The AU called an emergency meeting on Friday about its military mission in Somalia after the US said it would end critical funding from next year, reports africanews. Washington said the decision was due to the government’s lack of progress in containing the Islamist al-Shabaab group or taking ownership of its own security functions. Somalia has been battling the insurgency for around two decades but the al Qaeda-linked militants still control large swathes of the country. The nearly 12 000-strong AU mission props up the fragile government in Mogadishu, helping it push back against the group whose previous offensives have brought it close to the capital. Officials say the withdrawal of US funding via the UN will likely end operations of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom). Washington also said it would also block any further UN logistical support to the mission at the Security Council.

Deeply fragmented Somalia is in the midst of another political crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud changed the Constitution this year, extending his term in office by another year. Opposition parties and regional governments rejected the changes, leading to violent clashes in several parts of the country, including the capital, Mogadishu. Mohamud initially oversaw progress against al-Shabaab with a successful large-scale offensive after he took office in 2022. But much of the gains were later lost and the insurgency still has control of swathes of central and southern Somalia. ‘Somalia forces were supposed to gradually take responsibility for security, but it's not happening. The political elite is too busy infighting,’ said Zekarias Beshah, an analyst with the Amani Africa think-tank in Ethiopia. ‘One cannot rule out a major advance by al-Shabaab,’ he added, according to africanews.

The AU has warned that the US decision could have serious consequences for the mission, reports Business Insider Africa. According to a letter sent by the AU Commission to members of its Peace and Security Council on Thursday, the decision carries ‘significant implications for the logistical sustainment, operational posture and financing of the mission’. Ahmed Koshin, a Somali lawmaker and former director-general in the country’s Defence Ministry, said the decision could undermine the peacekeeping operation. ‘This will have huge ramifications for Somalia. The peacekeeping mission is in danger because ultimately you need to be able to support and sustain these forces,’ he said. Two diplomats familiar with the mission also told Reuters that Aussom would struggle to continue unless another partner stepped in to replace the UN support mechanism. The US decision comes at a sensitive time for African peace support operations. In recent years, the AU has pushed for more predictable financing for its peacekeeping missions as external donors have become increasingly reluctant to shoulder the costs of long-running operations. The UN Security Council approved a framework in late 2023 allowing assessed UN contributions to finance certain AU-led peace support operations under strict conditions, but implementation has faced political and funding hurdles. Somalia remains one of the continent’s most complex security challenges despite nearly two decades of international military support. Although Somali forces, backed by the AU mission and international partners, have reclaimed territory from al-Shabaab in recent years, the militant group continues to stage deadly attacks and retains influence across large parts of the country.

A US State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Washington has provided nearly $2bn in assessed contributions to the UN Support Office in Somalia and its predecessor, reports Polity. Despite this investment, Somalia has been unable to independently sustain progress that Aussom and its predecessor missions have made to degrade and contain al-Shabaab or take ownership of most of its own security functions,’ the spokesperson said. ‘We should not continue to fund a mission that has not met core objectives and diverts resources away from security priorities with more immediate and direct implications for US interests.’ UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN was aware of the US decision. ‘At this stage, we are discussing this internally and engaging with the African Union, Federal Government of Somalia and other partners,’ Dujarric said. In its note to the AU, Washington delivered a stinging critique of the Somali Government's efforts to restore order in the country. ‘Internal rivalries and political infighting continue to undermine the fight against al-Shabaab and Isis, and the benefits of international support will remain limited until Somalia's leaders unite to address the country's security and governance challenges,’ it said. The Aussom budget last year was $190m, but financing for the mission has become increasingly precarious, leading to a huge funding shortfall. Washington last year blocked a plan to shift to a financing model that would have seen UN funds cover three-quarters of the budget.