AU Somalia mission suffers budget shortfalls as al Shabaab intensifies attacks

Kenya and other countries contributing troops in Somalia have called for UN financing of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia.

It faces “an inherited $96 million shortfall from ATMIS” and needs 8,000 more troops, air assets, weapons and other equipment.

The leaders, including Kenyan Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, issued the appeals on Friday as the terrorist group stepped up its attacks and destruction in Somalia and the region.

Regional leaders in Entebbe, Uganda, at the Extra-Ordinary Summit of Troop Contributing Countries, deplored underfunding of AUSSOM and urged implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 of 2023.

The council, in December 2023, unanimously agreed to consider requests from the AU Peace and Security Council seeking authorisation to access UN assessed contributions for African-led peace support operations.

The resolution authorises the use of UN assessed contributions to fund AU peace support operations, with the aim of strengthening the UN-AU partnership and streamlining joint planning and authorisation processes.

It allows AU missions to receive as much as 75 per cent of their budget from UN assessed contributions. The support extends to AU-led peace support operations and includes costs and reimbursement of all categories of support as negotiated between the troop-police contributing countries, the AU and the UN.

President William Ruto was represented by DP Kindiki at the meeting in Uganda on Saturday.

Defence CS Soipan Tuya was also present and said the meeting concluded with a number of proposals, including the need for troop enhancement and increased funding.

“The summit proposed triggering of UNSC Resolution 2719 of 2023, and support for the AU commission's resource mobilisation efforts,” she said.

The summit communique reiterated that the best adequate, predictable and sustainable funding was the application of the UNSC Resolution 2719 (2023) to Somalia.

It also emphasised the need to increase air assets, capabilities and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, and called for coordinated use of available assets.

Acknowledging the resurgence of terror group al Shabaab, the meeting also called for a troop increase “so as not to roll back the hard-earned gains made”.

On Thursday, al Shabaab fighters battled Somali troops and allied forces for control of a military base in Wargaadhi and the town located in Middle Shabelle to expand recent gains in the region.

AUSSOM succeeded the AU Transition Mission in Somalia to help Somalia achieve long-term peace and security.

AU Commission chairman Mahmoud Youssouf told meeting participants, however, the mission faces financial challenges, and there is still reluctance by some countries to implement Resolution 2719 on Somalia.

“The commission of the African Union will spare no efforts to try and mobilise financial resources,” he said.

“However, it will take a collective effort from member countries and partners to save this African peace mission in Somalia from collapsing. The stability and security in Somalia is beneficial not only to the Horn of Africa but also to global peace at large,” he said in Entebbe on Thursday.

IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) executive secretary Worneh Gebeyehu said AUSSOM inherited not just ATMIS’s mandate but also a funding shortfall of $96 million.

“When only 75 per cent of our budget is secured exclusively through UN assessed contributions, commanders in the field face impossible choices about fuel, ammunition and even basic necessities,” Gebeyehu said.

This, he said, threatens “the urgent” need to increase AUSSOM troop strength by at least 8,000 personnel, to deploy additional bilateral forces, enhance air assets and intelligence capabilities, and strengthen coordination between Somalia’s federal government, member states and traditional leaders.

He added that al Shabaab's offensive throughout the early months of 2025 has undermined much of what the region had accomplished. “The 25 per cent funding gap under Resolution 2719 keeps mission planners awake at night,” the IGAD boss said.

“IGAD continues to fully support the efforts of Your Excellencies over the past months as you lead discussions with potential donors, and I believe there is need for a coordinated approach, resulting in focused donor conferences to address the critical shortfall.”

The Extra-Ordinary Summit was aimed at evaluating ongoing efforts and setting the strategic direction for long-term peace and stability in Somalia.

This Summit was agreed upon during the recent official visit of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to Uganda.

Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Mohamud agreed to convene under the theme “To Stabilise Somalia,” terming this the mission’s ultimate objective.