MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United Nations Security Council on Friday approved the establishment of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will take over from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in January. The mission has been authorized for an initial 12-month deployment.
The mission is set to consist of approximately 12,000 uniformed personnel, including 1,000 police officers. Over 7,000 peacekeepers are expected to come from Uganda, with additional forces contributed by Burundi, Djibouti, and Kenya. However, reports indicate that Burundi may withdraw from the mission in protest over the allocation of its troop quota, which is limited to around 1,000 personnel.
In response to a statement from the Ethiopian representative at the UNSC, the Somali delegate confirmed that troop-contributing countries for AUSSOM had already received their allocations. This led to speculation that Ethiopia would not receive a troop allocation, effectively excluding it from the mission.
Despite these reports, Somali National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh Ali clarified that a final decision on participation and troop numbers has yet to be made. “Somalia is actively engaging with the AU and potential troop-contributing countries (TCCs) for AUSSOM. The mandate of AUSSOM allows the FGS to determine TCC participation,” he said in a statement on X. “A decision will be announced soon, aligning with our national priorities. The spirit of the Ankara Declaration remains strong and alive.”
Reports further suggest that Mogadishu has placed conditions on Ethiopia’s participation in AUSSOM, allocating Addis Ababa only 2,000 personnel. These troops will be prohibited from operating near the Ethiopian border, where Ethiopia has maintained an unnegotiated presence for nearly three decades. Instead, Ugandan peacekeepers are expected to be deployed in these border regions.
Although Ethiopia and Somalia recently reached an agreement to de-escalate a year-long period of tensions in Ankara earlier this month, their discord remains unresolved. Just last week, Somalia accused Ethiopian troops in the border town of Dolow of attacking Somali forces, resulting in casualties and the arrest of the remaining troops. The incident reportedly occurred after Ethiopian forces sided with Jubaland authorities in a power struggle against federal forces loyal to Mogadishu.
Egypt had previously announced its intention to participate in AUSSOM, a move that raised concerns in Ethiopia, which expressed its apprehension even at the Security Council. However, Somalia’s Foreign Minister reaffirmed last week that Egypt’s participation would proceed as initially stated. Despite this, the final troop allocations and the official list of contributing countries remain uncertain, with only a few days left before the mission’s planned launch in the new year.
