Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s future must be shaped by its people, African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma said, warning that dwindling international funding could seriously weaken AU operations.
Speaking to local media in Mogadishu this week, Kavuma said international assistance could help Somalia confront its security challenges, but would not substitute for the responsibility of Somalis to decide the country’s course.
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He called on Somalis to set aside their differences and use peaceful dialogue to debate the nation’s future.
“Somalia belongs to Somalis,” Kavuma said, stressing that the country’s people must first agree on the future they seek before working to build it.
Kavuma also cautioned that funding constraints could undermine every part of the AUSSOM mission, especially if support from the United Nations Support Office in Somalia is reduced or withdrawn.
“If UNSOS support ends on Dec. 31, 2026, it could significantly affect the mission’s capabilities, as UNSOS provides about 85% of AUSSOM’s support requirements,” he said.
The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) is facing an imminent funding and operational crisis after the United States decided to end its financial and logistical backing by December 31, 2026.
He said Somalia’s federal government, the African Union and countries contributing troops would have to develop alternative arrangements to keep operations running.
The warning comes as AUSSOM moves through a transition period in which Somali forces are gradually assuming security duties in areas previously controlled by African Union troops.
Kavuma said the consequences of a funding gap would extend beyond a single area of the mission, potentially affecting multiple operations according to the scale of the financial support lost.
