The African Union is considering scaling down its Somalia Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM) if funding is not urgently secured to support the mission, at a time when Somalia is not yet fully prepared to take over its own security.
According to a report published by Crisis Group, the lack of funding for AUSSOM has already had a negative impact on the mission, while also angering countries with troops in Somalia.
The Security Council narrowly failed to approve a resolution that would have allowed up to 75% of AUSSOM’s costs to be covered by the UN budget, after the United States publicly opposed such funding.
With the United States reluctant to support it, the African Union and its partners have yet to present any effective financial solutions beyond Resolution 2719.
AU officials are working to convene a pledging conference in Doha or London to bolster the mission’s budget and prevent Somalia from becoming vulnerable to extremist groups again.
