AUSSOM: New African Union Mission in Somalia Set for 2025

The United Nations Security Council authorized the AUSSOM mission, set to replace the current African Union anti-terrorism effort in Somalia by 2025. Financial concerns from top funders, like the EU and the US, influenced this shift. The US expressed apprehension through an abstention vote.

The U.N. Security Council has endorsed a new African Union mission known as AUSSOM in Somalia, slated to commence on January 1, 2025. This initiative will supersede an existing AU operation that predominantly targets terrorism.

Since Ethiopia's invasion in 2006, aimed at dismantling an Islamist-led regime, Somalia's stability has largely relied on external aid. The situation subsequently engendered a persistent insurgency resulting in numerous casualties.

Despite concerns over funding, notably from the European Union and the United States, both leading contributors to AU forces in Somalia, the Security Council's resolution saw approval, save for a U.S. abstention. This reflects ongoing complications in negotiations over the mission's structure and fiscal feasibility.

(With inputs from agencies.)