MOGADISHU — Senior leaders of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have convened a high-level operational review aimed at strengthening support for Somalia’s ongoing security transition and consolidating recent gains against Al-Shabaab.
The two-day meeting, which opened on Monday, December 16, 2025, at AUSSOM Force Headquarters in Mogadishu, was chaired by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia (SRCC) and Head of AUSSOM, Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene. It brought together the Mission’s Force Commander, sector commanders, senior military officers, and representatives from the civilian component.
The discussions focused on reviewing operational performance across AUSSOM’s five sectors, assessing progress made since the Mission’s launch, addressing operational and resource challenges, and aligning sector priorities with the next phase of operations in close coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia.
AUSSOM Force Commander Lieutenant General Sam Kavuma said the review comes at a critical juncture, as the Mission approaches the end of its first year of operations. AUSSOM officially began work on January 1, 2025, replacing the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) following authorization by the United Nations Security Council in late 2024. While noting progress in supporting Somali Security Forces, Lt. Gen. Kavuma highlighted persistent resource constraints that continue to affect operations and troop morale.
In his keynote address, Ambassador Diene stressed that AUSSOM’s effectiveness depends on strong coordination with Somali Security Forces, unity of effort across all sectors, and a clear focus on Somali-led stabilization. He emphasized that military operations must go beyond clearing areas of Al-Shabaab to ensuring they are held and followed by governance, reconciliation, and basic service delivery.
“Our success depends on coherence of strategy, unity of effort, and strong partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia, especially in a resource-constrained environment,” Ambassador Diene said. He also underscored the importance of civil–military cooperation and consistent messaging to counter extremist propaganda.
As AUSSOM prepares to enter its second year in January 2026, the meeting reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to protecting hard-won security gains and supporting the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali institutions, in line with Somalia’s long-term peace and stability objectives.
