The United Kingdom has announced new funding to sustain the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia, stepping in as the United States pulls back support and the European Union hesitates to commit.
London pledged £16.5 million (about $22 million) earlier this week to help fill a growing funding gap and rally other international donors to avoid a dangerous security vacuum in the Horn of Africa.
The UK’s Minister for Development, Baroness Jennifer Chapman, said the contribution is part of a $30 million support package for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom) and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). Out of this, $8 million will go to UNSOS to strengthen its non-lethal support to Somali forces.
“Today, we’re continuing our support through a vital contribution to Aussom, reinforcing our investment in a future where trade thrives, communities flourish and terrorism no longer threatens everyday life,” Chapman said.
Despite this boost, Aussom still faces a deep financial shortfall. The mission requires at least $165 million each year for troop reimbursements alone.
When unfunded priorities such as death and disability compensation and daily allowances are included, the total cost rises significantly. Chapman noted that the UK’s funding aligns with its broader commitment to supporting African-led peace operations.
As the UN Security Council’s ‘penholder’ on Somalia, Britain is leading diplomatic efforts to close the funding gap and attract new donors to prevent instability in the region.
Alongside earlier pledges from China, Japan and South Korea, Italy and Spain have also committed unspecified contributions, while the African Union has allocated $20 million to support Aussom’s 2025 operations.
The announcement was made on September 25 during a high-level financing event co-hosted by the UK, the AU, the UN and the Federal Government of Somalia, held on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In a statement, the AU Peace and Security Council said the UK’s pledge reinforces its longstanding partnership with Somalia and its commitment to share the financial burden of the mission, which needs $166.5 million annually. The AU also promised to deploy personnel and provide logistical support to enhance the mission’s operations.
Aussom, which comprises 11,146 personnel drawn from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Egypt, began its five-year mandate on January 1, 2025.
However, its future has been in doubt following a funding crisis triggered by Washington’s threat to veto the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 at the start of Aussom’s official operations on July 1.
The resolution was expected to cover 75 percent of the mission’s budget through UN-assessed contributions.
During a meeting of troop-contributing countries in Kampala in April, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye described the resolution as Aussom’s “best hope” for survival amid shrinking donor support.
The AU later sent special envoys to Western capitals under a joint UN-AU mission to secure additional funding, but the initiative failed to deliver results. A planned donors’ pledging conference in Doha, Qatar, was eventually cancelled after several failed attempts in March, April and May.
Since 2007, AU operations in Somalia have depended largely on financial support from the EU, the US and the UK, which have spent billions of dollars on reimbursements for troops, police, civilian staff and logistics for the mission.