peacekeeping

Saturday March 14, 2026 DJIBOUTI (AX) — Djibouti is deploying a new contingent of troops to Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), with the 13th “Hiil-Walaal” Brigade scheduled to arrive March 16 to reinforce security and stabilization efforts, officials said. The rotation will replace the 12th Brigade currently serving in Somalia and sustain Djibouti’s long-standing role in the Hirshabelle state, a central region where Djiboutian forces have helped hold key towns and secure…

KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades on the front lines of African Union peacekeeping, a move that could reshape security calculations in the Horn of Africa and test hard-won gains against Al-Shabaab. Gen. Wilson Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said in a post on X on Sunday that the country’s military mission in Somalia “has officially ended” and that preparations are underway for a full pullout. “After 19 years in Somalia, we plan…

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) for another year, extending operations through December 31, 2026, in a vote on Tuesday that underscored broad international backing for Somalia’s security transition. The UK-drafted resolution passed 15-0 and also set an end date for the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), with all UNTMIS operations to conclude by October 31, 2026.…

New York — The United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, extending AUSSOM through Dec. 31, 2026, in a resolution adopted Tuesday that also set a timetable to wind down a separate U.N. mission. The resolution, tabled by the United Kingdom, passed 15-0 and keeps in place international backing for Somalia’s security transition amid persistent attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgency. It also decided to terminate the United…

A fragile peace, an international watch and a humanitarian clock In a hastily converted warehouse on the edge of southern Israel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck an optimistic tone this week about a deal that could finally end nearly two years of grinding war in Gaza. The caveat was blunt: Israel will have veto power over who makes up any international force sent into Gaza to police a ceasefire — a condition that could preclude some of the region’s most powerful and politically consequential militaries. The scene…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A senior official has revealed that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) won't be involved in Somalia's upcoming peacekeeping efforts. This could spark yet another prolonged clash that might hinder efforts to build the state. As of January 2025, a brand new mission is planned to roll out, replacing the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Known as the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), it will feature a leaner troop presence. Bitterness is…

Somalia Makes Bold Move to Exclude Ethiopian Forces from New AU Peace Initiative MOGADISHU, Somalia - In a development brimming with geopolitical intrigue, Somalia has officially petitioned the African Union (AU) and the United Nations for the exclusion of Ethiopian military personnel from a restructured peacekeeping force. This initiative aims to tackle insurgents tied to al-Qaeda, notably the notorious group al-Shabaab. This decision, unveiled through a foreign affairs ministry communique, follows a period of fraught…

At the African Defense Ministers Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, military brass from across the continent gathered to chat about pivoting from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the fresh African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). Mogadishu (AX) — On October 16, 2024, amidst explicit disapproval from Somalia, Ethiopia hosted a confab of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) involved in ATMIS. The hoopla took place during the African Defense Leaders Conference in Addis…

Mogadishu (AX) – Nations involved in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have pledged their continued support for peacekeeping efforts as ATMIS concludes in December 2024.During last week's African Defense Ministers Conference in Addis Ababa, defense chiefs from these countries confirmed their backing for the upcoming African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), starting January 2025.They highlighted financial hurdles challenging both ATMIS and AUSSOM. Emphasizing the importance of…

UNITED NATIONS, United States: In a powerful statement on Saturday, forty nations contributing to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon expressed their "strong condemnation" of recent violence directed at the peacekeepers."These acts must cease immediately, and a thorough investigation is imperative," declared a joint statement shared on X by the Polish UN mission, with signatures from key players like Indonesia, Italy, and India, among others.Other countries lending their support include Ghana, Nepal, Malaysia, Spain,…