Kampala, Uganda – The Chief of the Ugandan Defence Forces, General Muhozi Kaynirugaba, called on regional military leaders to demonstrate the utmost unity, creativity and unwavering resolve to safeguard the future of peacekeeping and stability in Somalia, as the mission transitions towards a sustainable, African-led logistical framework amid unprecedented financial challenges.
Call to adapt to financial constraints
In his address at the opening of the extraordinary meeting of defense chiefs from troop-contributing countries to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) at the Speke Munyonyo resort in Kampala, Uganda, General Kaynergaba urged military leaders to adapt flexibly to increasing financial constraints. He noted that these challenging circumstances require a genuine commitment to ensuring continued support, emphasizing that the future of the mission, the sacrifices made, and the progress achieved in Somalia depend directly on the quality and decisiveness of the decisions taken at this critical juncture.
The repercussions of the American position and the future of UNSOS
This urgent appeal comes as the United Nations Support Mission in Somalia (UNSOS) prepares to end its operations by December 31, 2026, following a clear message from the United States in July 2026 stating its refusal to renew UNSOS’s mandate if it included UN logistical or operational support. This decision poses an existential threat to the mission’s sustainability, which relies entirely on this logistical support, prompting Kampala to host intensive meetings to explore alternative options, including regional coordination or orderly withdrawal plans.
Strategic options and contingency plans
The technical and ministerial meetings discussed three main paths: maintaining the status quo, transitioning to a regional cooperation framework and bilateral deployment, or planning an orderly withdrawal that ensures the full handover of security responsibility to Somali forces. At the conclusion of the discussions, military leaders emphasized the need to adopt comprehensive contingency plans to prepare for worst-case scenarios related to the absence of international logistical support after next December, while also designing alternative security measures to preserve the security gains achieved in Somalia.
