The African Union’s special envoy to Somalia has said a new stabilization force led by the bloc became operational on Wednesday, January 1, as per UN Security Council Resolution 2767.
Mohamed El-Amine Souef said in a statement that the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) will “build on the achievements” made under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), whose mandate ended on December 31, 2024, “to ensure Somalia realizes long-term peace and security”.
“At the African Union level, we will continue our engagements under AUSSOM, guided by the AU Peace and Security Council communiqués, as well as UN Security Council resolutions,” the envoy said.
“We will also continue our operational support to the SSF (Somali security forces) as we look forward to a productive year ahead. On behalf of the AU mission, I wish to affirm our commitment to the federal government of Somalia’s stabilisation efforts and post-conflict recovery,” he added.
The UN Security Council endorsed the replacement of ATMIS with AUSSOM on December 27, 2024 despite earlier plans to have African Union forces hand over all security responsibilities to Somali government troops by the end of 2024.
The council authorized the African Union to deploy 12,626 personnel, including 1,040 police officers, to AUSSOM until 30 June 2025 when the new mission’s mandate is likely to be extended by the UN body.
It is unclear which countries will be part of AUSSOM.
