Ethiopia’s Growing Security Anxiety: U.S. Funding Cut Raises Fears Over Somalia Operations

Addis Ababa (WDN) — Ethiopia is facing growing security concerns, particularly along its eastern border, following plans to end U.S. logistical funding for the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) on December 31, 2026, according to a Somali lawmaker and regional security experts.

The implications of the planned funding cutoff were discussed on September 3 during a security forum hosted in Addis Ababa by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), where experts examined emerging threats across the Horn of Africa and their potential impact on regional stability.

Experts warned that the loss of U.N.-backed transportation, aviation and logistical support could create a significant operational gap for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), particularly in areas near the Somalia-Ethiopia-Kenya border region.

The logistical system supporting international and Somali forces is critical to troop movements, the delivery of supplies and the ability to conduct sustained security operations in remote and contested areas. Without an effective replacement mechanism, experts cautioned, forces deployed far from major population centers could face serious constraints on mobility and resupply.