AU holds emergency talks over Somalia mission after US ends key funding

The African Union (AU) has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the future of its peace support mission in Somalia after the United States announced it would end critical funding for the operation.

The decision follows Washington’s notification that it will stop financing the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) at the end of the year. UNSOS provides much of the logistical support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which deploys about 12,000 personnel in support of Somalia’s security forces.

In a letter dated 1 July, the United States said it would also oppose any further UN logistical support for AUSSOM at the UN Security Council.

A senior African Union diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed the authenticity of the letter and described the decision as “irreversible”. The diplomat said the AU mission could not continue without UN-backed logistical support.