Countries contributing troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have reaffirmed their readiness to continue peacekeeping operations in Somalia following the conclusion of the ATMIS mission in December 2024.
Defence ministers from these nations made the announcement during the African Defense Ministers Conference held last week in Addis Ababa. They expressed their commitment to support the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which is set to begin in January 2025.
The ministers raised concerns about the financial challenges facing both ATMIS and AUSSOM. They emphasized the need to incorporate lessons learned from ATMIS into the new mission and called for consultation with troop-contributing nations to ensure the success of AUSSOM’s design and implementation.
The conference also discussed rising tensions in the Horn of Africa and the challenges surrounding transitioning from ATMIS to AUSSOM. Former ATMIS Commander Major General Ndegeya Diomede, speaking to local media in Ethiopia, urged Ethiopia to continue its leadership role, citing its past efforts in stabilizing Somalia and its capacity to support other conflict-affected regions like Sudan.
However, Somalia has opposed Ethiopia’s involvement in AUSSOM due to a memorandum of understanding signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland in January 2024. Instead, Somalia is strengthening its regional security partnerships. In a recent tripartite meeting with Egypt and Eritrea in Asmara, Somalia discussed strategies to protect its land and sea borders following the end of ATMIS.
Meanwhile, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who is currently in Uganda, will meet with Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to discuss bilateral cooperation and Somalia’s transition to self-reliant security forces.
According to Villa Somalia, President Mohamud is expected to visit other ATMIS troop-contributing countries in the coming days.
