MOGADISHU, Somalia — Acting Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), Qurat-ul-Ain Sadozai, met with Romain Joly, Deputy Head of Mission for Somalia and Regional Affairs at the French Embassy in Nairobi, as international partners weigh the next phase of Somalia’s security transition.
The discussions in Mogadishu focused on the ongoing drawdown of the United Nations presence and the importance of maintaining adequate support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and Somali security forces.
Sadozai expressed appreciation for France’s continued engagement and partnership with the United Nations in support of Somalia.
The meeting comes at a critical point for the international security architecture in Somalia. The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) is scheduled to close on Oct. 31, 2026, while AUSSOM remains dependent on logistical assistance from UNSOS for operations across the country. The United Nations has stressed that an orderly UNSOS drawdown is necessary to avoid undermining AUSSOM and Somalia’s broader security transition.
UNSOS currently provides extensive non-lethal logistical assistance to AUSSOM, including food, water, fuel, transport, communications, aviation, engineering and medical support. It also supports up to 20,900 Somali National Army and police personnel participating in joint or coordinated operations with AUSSOM.
The future of that support has become a major international issue. The United States has proposed allowing a 12-month drawdown of UNSOS support after the current authorization expires at the end of 2026, while Somalia and AU troop-contributing countries have pushed for a longer transition period to allow Somali security institutions to build capacity and ensure an orderly handover.
The debate has also raised concerns about financing and logistics. AUSSOM relies on international support for critical operational functions, making the timing and structure of any UNSOS withdrawal important for the mission’s ability to maintain its presence and support Somali forces.
At the same time, AUSSOM and Somali forces have continued the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to national institutions. Recent handovers of facilities to Somali forces have been presented as part of the broader transition toward greater Somali ownership of national security.
The United Nations has said AUSSOM remains important to Somalia’s security and that continued logistical support is essential to protecting the gains made during the transition. The organization has called on international partners to help sustain the African Union mission while a longer-term security arrangement is developed.
France’s continued engagement therefore comes as Somalia, the African Union and international partners negotiate how to balance the withdrawal of international structures with the need to maintain operational support for Somali and African forces.
The Mogadishu discussions underscored the importance of coordination among international partners as Somalia moves toward greater responsibility for its own security while AUSSOM continues its stabilization mandate.
