Major AUSSOM Decision Expected as Museveni Chairs Leaders’ Session

KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is chairing a closed consultative session of Heads of State and Government at the Extraordinary Summit of Troop-Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), with leaders expected to adopt key decisions on the future of the mission.

The high-level meeting, being held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, brings together leaders from Uganda, Somalia, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt and Kenya, alongside senior officials from the African Union, the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The closed session follows two days of deliberations by Chiefs of Defence Forces and Defence Ministers, who reviewed the security situation in Somalia, operational challenges facing AUSSOM and options for sustaining the African Union-led mission.

Leaders are expected to consider recommendations aimed at strengthening the mission’s effectiveness, improving coordination among troop-contributing countries and securing predictable financing for AUSSOM.

African Union Commission (AUC) is Mahmoud Ali Youssouf is among those attending the meeting.

The summit comes at a pivotal moment for the Somalia mission, amid concerns over declining international logistical support and uncertainty surrounding the future of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), whose current mandate expires at the end of 2026.

Delegates have repeatedly stressed that sustainable and predictable financing remains essential to maintaining operational readiness, supporting troop-contributing countries and preserving security gains made against the Al-Shabaab insurgency.

Held under the theme “To Sustain the Stabilisation Process in Somalia,” the summit seeks to forge a common African position on the future of peace support operations in Somalia while reinforcing regional cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.

A major proclamation is expected at the conclusion of the leaders’ meeting, outlining the collective position of troop-contributing countries on the future direction of AUSSOM, mission financing and continued support for Somalia’s security transition.

Uganda, the first country to deploy troops under the African Union Mission in Somalia in 2007, continues to play a leading role in regional peace and security efforts. Hosting the summit underscores Kampala’s commitment to African-led solutions to security challenges and to supporting lasting peace and stability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.