US Cuts Funding for African Union Mission in Somalia, Raising Questions on Future

African leaders convened this week in Kampala, Uganda, to discuss the future of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The meeting, attended by heads of state and regional security officials, focused on how the mission will continue to operate amid shifting international support and the ongoing threat posed by Al Shabaab.

The United States announced that it will withdraw its funding from AUSSOM at the end of the year. This decision raises questions about the mission’s capacity to maintain its anti‑terrorism operations and the ability of regional forces to sustain the security gains achieved so far. The withdrawal is expected to prompt a reassessment of the mission’s budget, logistics, and strategic priorities by the African Union and its partners.

Our correspondent Tom Canetti, reporting from the Somali region, spoke with a refugee who was displaced when Al Shabaab seized his village. He described the sudden loss of his home and the uncertainty that now surrounds the region’s security future. The refugee’s experience underscores the urgency of determining how AUSSOM and regional forces will adapt to the new funding landscape.