US Gives UN One More Year to Wind Down Somalia Peacekeeping Support

NAIROBI — The United States has agreed to give the United Nations another year to wind down logistical support for African Union peacekeepers in Somalia, providing the mission with more time to seek alternatives while leaving its long-term future uncertain.

Washington said it was willing to support a 12-month drawdown of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), followed immediately by its liquidation, according to a diplomatic note seen by Reuters and shared with embassies.

The new timeline would begin in January, after the current UNSOS mandate expires at the end of December, according to diplomatic and Somali government sources.

UNSOS provides critical logistical support to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), including food, water, fuel, medical services and transportation for troops.

The United States had told the African Union in July that it would oppose continued UN support for AUSSOM from the start of next year, amid growing frustration in Washington with Somalia’s government and the international role in its campaign against Al-Shabaab.

A US State Department spokesperson said Washington would no longer fund or support UNSOS, whose budget is about $500 million.

“We would expect any drawdown processes and timelines to be discussed during UN Security Council deliberations in December,” the spokesperson said.

The additional year gives Somalia, the African Union and other partners more time to seek alternative financing and logistical arrangements for AUSSOM, but does not resolve the mission’s longer-term funding problems.

AUSSOM has faced a substantial funding gap. The United States last year blocked a proposal that would have allowed UN financing to cover about three-quarters of the mission’s annual budget of $190 million.

“AUSSOM is a key pillar of Somalia’s state,” said Afyare Elmi, a professor at City University of Mogadishu. Without the force, he said, Somalia would face a serious risk of fragmentation.

Regional security analyst Samira Gaid said the closure of UNSOS could ultimately force the African Union to find alternative logistics or reduce and eventually end its deployment.

The African Union force is supporting Somalia’s security forces in their fight against Al-Shabaab, which retains control of parts of the countryside despite years of military operations.

Somalia has relied heavily on international and regional security assistance since the collapse of the central government in 1991, making the future of AUSSOM closely linked to efforts to strengthen the country’s security institutions.

Somalia’s defence ministry, UNSOS and the African Union Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Source – Reuters