Friday July 24, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — The future of African Union security support in Somalia was at the center of talks Thursday between the head of AUSSOM and the U.S. Embassy’s senior representative, as concerns grow over potential changes to United Nations backing for the mission.
Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, special representative of the chairperson of the African Union Commission and head of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), held the meeting with Davis Justin, the U.S. Embassy to Somalia’s chargé d’affaires, at AUSSOM headquarters in Mogadishu, the mission said.
AUSSOM said the discussions examined its mandate, Somalia’s changing security environment and the consequences of recent developments.
According to the mission, the two officials underscored the need for close coordination and a durable partnership to help promote lasting peace, security and stability in Somalia.
The talks follow reports earlier this month that the United States intends to block U.N. support for the AU mission in Somalia from next year, a decision officials have cautioned could place the operation’s future at risk.
The AU force, which has nearly 12,000 personnel, assists Somalia’s federal government in battling al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militant group that retains control of areas in southern and central Somalia.
AUSSOM depends extensively on U.N. logistical assistance, including the provision of food, water and fuel, as well as medical support and troop transport.
The mission succeeded the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia and is designed to support Somali security forces as they gradually assume a larger role in safeguarding the country.
With Somali forces continuing military campaigns against al-Shabab in several regions, the withdrawal of U.N. support would create significant operational challenges for the AU mission.
