MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud joined regional leaders in Ethiopia to discuss security cooperation and funding challenges facing the AUSSOM mission.
The summit included Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Kenyan President William Ruto, Djibouti’s President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, and African Union Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in strategic security talks.
Held in Guba, Ethiopia, the five-party meeting addressed regional stability, military cooperation, and urgent funding gaps for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
President Mohamud hailed AUSSOM’s role in helping Somali National Army (SNA) forces’ efforts to defeat al-Shabab and establish long-term national stability across all regions.
He urged continued international support for SNA and AUSSOM to prevent funding gaps and loss of counterterrorism progress.
The African Union has faced serious financial constraints since replacing AMISOM with AUSSOM. This also weakened the mission’s capacity amid Al Shabab threats.
Before the summit, President Mohamud met AU Special Representative El Hadji Ibrahima Diene in Mogadishu to discuss leadership changes and mission performance issues.
The talks focused recent setbacks and outlined a roadmap to transfer the security responsibility from AUSSOM to SNA forces.
Despite AUSSOM being vital to Somalia’s transition, its success hinges on donor funding and stronger coordination among national and regional leaders.