Gladys NamyaloFriday July 31, 2026
African military leaders must unite and chart innovative, durable ways to protect hard-won peacekeeping gains in Somalia as the mission moves toward sustainable, African-led logistics, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has said.
Opening the Extraordinary Meeting of Chiefs of Defence Forces (CDFs) from Troop-Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Gen. Kainerugaba called on commanders to adjust to mounting financial pressure.
“These are challenging conditions, but they demand unity, ingenuity, and determination from us,” Gen. Kainerugaba said. “The future of this mission — and the sacrifices and advances we have collectively made in Somalia — will be shaped by the quality of the choices we take at critical moments such as this.”
The push to reinforce the mission comes ahead of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) ending its operations by December 31, 2026, a development that gives troop-contributing countries an opening to speed up plans for self-reliant logistical systems.
Uganda’s CDF said the effects of funding cuts have already reached frontline operations, forcing troops to reassess and reorganize priorities in the field. He also cited changing international diplomatic calculations, including signals that the United States would not back renewal of the AUSSOM mandate under the existing UN support framework.
With that deadline approaching, Gen. Kainerugaba urged troop-contributing nations to accelerate African-led alternatives capable of keeping the mission operational after December 2026. African countries, he stressed, now carry direct responsibility for preserving the progress achieved in Somalia.
The military chiefs’ technical talks in Kampala mark the opening phase of a three-day strategic process. Their conclusions will shape a detailed CDF report for presentation to Defence Ministers on July 30 and, ultimately, inform regional Heads of State at the 15th Extraordinary Summit on July 31.
“As Chiefs of Defence Forces, our duty is to offer unambiguous military advice and strategic leadership while the mission landscape is shifting,” Gen. Kainerugaba said. “We must therefore conduct these deliberations candidly and openly, guided by a common purpose.”
Delivering a brief update on security, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmoud, Commander of the Somali National Armed Forces, thanked African peacekeeping missions for the significant contribution they have made to stabilizing Somalia.
AUSSOM’s troop-contributing countries — Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Kenya — are represented alongside host nation Somalia at the three-day summit, which ends on July 31.
Reinforcing Gen. Kainerugaba’s message, the Head of the African Union’s Peace Support Operations Division, Brigadier General Cheick Dembele, said enduring African solidarity is indispensable to Somalia’s pursuit of long-term peace and stability.
He said the African Union has maintained its commitment to the mission despite persistent obstacles, adding that stronger Somali security institutions will depend on continued collective backing.
