US backs year-long wind-down of UN office in Somalia — Jerusalem Post
The United States has agreed to support a 12-month wind-down of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), which provides logistical assistance to the African Union peacekeeping mission. According to the Jerusalem Post, citing Reuters, Washington proposes to immediately abolish the UN office after this period.
Without the 12-month transition period, funding could have ended at the end of December, when UNSOS's mandate expires. Two diplomatic sources and a source in the Somali government said that this period will likely begin in January.
UN logistical support
The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) depends heavily on UNSOS. The office provides peacekeepers with food, water, fuel, medical services and transportation for military personnel.
In July, the administration of US President Donald Trump informed the African Union in a diplomatic note that it would use its influence to prevent the UN from supporting the African peacekeeping mission from the beginning of next year. A US State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Washington would no longer fund or support the UN office in Somalia, which has a budget of about $500 million.
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According to the spokesperson, the procedures and timeline for the wind-down are to be discussed at the UN Security Council in December. Five diplomatic sources and a source in the Somali government also confirmed the 12-month period.
Risks for the mission
The decision gives Somalia and its partners additional time to seek other sources of support, but it does not remove risks to AUSSOM's future. Afyare Elmi, a professor at Mogadishu City University, called the mission a “key pillar of the Somali state” and said that without it, the country risks fragmentation and disintegration.
Regional security analyst Samira Gaid told Reuters that the closure of UNSOS could mean the end of AUSSOM's work. According to her, the African Union must either find alternative logistical support mechanisms or reduce and withdraw the mission.
Funding for the African mission is already unstable and accompanied by a significant funding shortfall. Last year, Washington blocked a plan under which UN funds were to cover three quarters of the peacekeeping mission's $190 million annual budget.
