Bujumbura: Somali President touring troop-contributing countries a few months before the establishment of AUSSOM

The African Union (AU) Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) should be effective in early January 2025. The AU mission (ATMIS) will have completed its withdrawal. This Sunday, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Burundi after visiting Uganda. The two countries of the East African Community (EAC) economic bloc which Somalia also joined, are the two main troop contributors to Somalia.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The Somali president spent three hours on Burundian soil. After being welcomed at Bujumbura airport by his Burundian counterpart Evariste Ndayishimiye, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was received at the Bujumbura palace where the two heads of state had a tête-à-tête. Mr. Ndayishimiye accompanied his guest to the only airport available in the small East African nation. The Burundian president’s spokeswoman, Rosine Guilène Gatoni, read a joint statement that stressed the development of bilateral trade and relations between the two countries. But she also announced that the issue of the new mission was their concern.

“The two leaders paid well-deserved tribute to the Burundian troops, the Somali army and the other ATMIS troops who are on the front line fighting the terrorist group Al-Shabab,” said Rosine Guilène Gatoni. In Uganda, a joint statement by Presidents Mohamud and Yoweri Museveni also praised “the sacrifice of ATMIS troops.”

AUSSOM

According to Spokesperson Gatoni, the two heads of state discussed the security situation in Somalia in particular. She said they stressed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia while insisting on maintaining peace, security and stability in the Horn of Africa region.

“The heads of state welcomed the establishment of the new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia AUSSOM which will build on the achievements of its predecessor, ATMIS. The mission should also draw on lessons learned and implement a strategy that meets the specific capacities required by the Somali security sector,” added Rosine Guilène Gatoni at Bujumbura airport. According to the document, Ndayishimiye and Mohamud stressed that it is essential to explore all financing options. “AUSSOM should have predictable and sustainable funding.” They called on the international community to “contribute to strengthening the capacities of the new mission.”

The hug between Presidents Mohamud and Ndayishimiye at Bujumbura airport, October 20, 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)

In early October, Somalia’s five partner countries reiterated the urgency of putting in place the conditions for this new mission. The “Quinte for Somalia” made up of the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar clearly indicated “fearing a delay in the establishment of AUSSOM.” They called for “the involvement of partners, clear objectives and a strategy to end the crisis” placing particular emphasis on “the urgency of finalizing financing solutions.”

The AUSSOM operational concept was adopted by the AU Peace and Security Commission last August.

So far, five countries are participating in the war against the al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia. They are Uganda, which has about 6,000 soldiers, Burundi, which has deployed about 5,000 soldiers, Ethiopia, which has a contingent of nearly 4,000 soldiers, Kenya, which has sent about 3,500 soldiers, and Djibouti, whose number of soldiers is close to 1,000. Currently, Egypt and Djibouti have already committed to contributing troops, voluntarily.

Burundi is among the countries that would like to stay in the deal, according to sources close to senior Burundian authorities. “The mission remains among the main sources of foreign currency for Burundi now,” they say.

The small East African nation has been participating in the peacekeeping mission in Somalia since 2007.