AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during a High-Level Event on Financing AUSSOM on the sidelines of UNGA80 on September 25, 2025The stalemate over financing the African Union’s mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) persisted in New York, casting grave uncertainty over its future.
AU Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf told the High-Level Event on Financing AUSSOM, held on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly (UNGA80), that Somalia remains fragile.
The al Shabaab militia continues to cause havoc, endangering peace and stability, a burden he said, the country cannot bear alone.
Youssouf said despite the AU doubling its contribution to the Peace Fund, AUSSOM still faces a $180 million shortfall.
“The AU has already doubled its contribution to the Peace Fund to $20 million, demonstrating Africa’s resolve. Yet without urgent, predictable and sustainable financing, hard-won achievements risk being undone,” he warned.
Acknowledging what he termed “funding fatigue” among traditional Western partners, Youssouf said AUSSOM is not an open-ended mission.
“With adequate support, it can close the chapter of dependency and usher in a new era of sovereignty, stability and prosperity,” he said, urging the UN, EU and other partners to match Africa’s determination.
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi echoed the call, warning that the widening financing gap poses a serious threat to AUSSOM, whose mandate expires in December.
He underscored the need to advance implementation of UN Resolution 2719, particularly through a hybrid financing model anchored on UN-assessed contributions.
“Such a framework must be comprehensive, covering troop stipends, logistics, mobility, and broader operational requirements to ensure predictability and effectiveness. Financial uncertainty undermines mission readiness, emboldens extremist groups, and threatens to reverse the hard-won gains achieved through years of sacrifice and solidarity,” Mudavadi said.
Resolution 2719 provides a framework for financing AU-led peace operations, but its application to AUSSOM remains contested. While the AU and several UNSC members support its use, the US has opposed applying it to AUSSOM, citing concerns over burden sharing.
Mudavadi acknowledged the complexities but urged compromise: “Kenya remains steadfast in this mission, with about 3,000 of our gallant troops serving in Somalia, standing shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in pursuit of a peaceful and secure region.”
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stressed that AUSSOM’s success is not only a Somali priority but also vital to regional and global security.
Meanwhile, the UK pledged £16.5 million ($22 million) towards AUSSOM’s 2025 operations, while Italy, Japan, Korea, and Spain announced new or forthcoming pledges. The EU said it would unveil specific support for the mission’s military component in the near future.
