• Source: African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia

The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) will serve as the African Union's new peacekeeping and stabilization operation in Somalia. Succeeding the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), The mission is expected to start in 2025, that may include troops from the East African Nations of Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, Kenya, and Burundi.




Overview


The African Union's Peace and Security Council approved the creation of AUSSOM on 1st August, 2024, with plans to start the mission in 2025, after ATMIS’ withdrawal on 31 December, 2024. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has actively sought to rally support from former ATMIS contributors, encouraging them to participate in AUSSOM.




Responses


Egypt has offered to send 10,000 troops to Somalia, 5,000 for AUSSOM and another 5,000 that will work independently. this is following a security deal with Somalia from August 2024. Somalia has accepted this offer.
Ethiopia, while being rejected by Somalia due to signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the unrecognized state of Somaliland, has still been hoping to be part of the new mission, With Ethiopia’s defense minister Aisha Mohammed saying that her country is more than willing to continue to assist Somalia to stabilize. Despite the efforts, Somalia has still denied Ethiopian support, with their Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that Ethiopia’s presence has only increased Al-Shabaab activity and that little to no development was made.And if Somalia still denies Ethiopia’s involvement by the end of 2024, Ethiopia’s troops could get removed or replaced entirely.
Djibouti has also offered to send peacekeeping troops to AUSSOM,This was welcomed by Somalia.
Uganda’s foreign minister Henry Oryem Okello has opposed Egypt’s troop deployment, saying that they might dominate AUSSOM.After that, Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud went to Uganda to speak with Ugandan president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, to persuade Uganda into supporting Egypt’s help in the mission.
Kenya’s president William Ruto met with Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to discuss AUSSOM, that ended with Kenya endorsing the new mission.
Burundi, another former ATMIS contributor, has also seen a visit from the Somali president, that ended with the country’s president Évariste Ndayishimiye welcoming the mission.
The United Kingdom summited a draft resolution to the United Nations, welcoming the AU’s decision to create AUSSOM.




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia
• African Union Mission to Somalia
• African Union Transition Mission in Somalia
• Somali Civil War
• War in Somalia (2006–2009)
• Foreign relations of Somalia
• History of Somalia
• Islamic Courts Union
• Canadian peacekeeping
• Somali Armed Forces