Saturday October 5, 2024
Loaded, ready to exit. ATMIS vehicle at Bariire FOB. Picture: ATMIS.
Work is underway in Mogadishu on mission design and funding for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) that will replace ATMIS (AU Transition Mission in Somalia) three months from now.
“Engagements”, an ATMIS statement has it, started on 24 September when a joint AU/UN (African Union/United Nations) delegation arrived in the Somali capital. Assisted and supported by delegates from the Somali Federal Government, troop contributing countries (TCCs) and international partners, they are preparing a comprehensive report on overall mission design and financing options. This is in line with UN Security Council resolution 2748 (2024).
To meet the November 2024 deadline for reporting back to the UN Security Council, the joint delegation organised its work into streams, with representation from the AU, Somali government and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) logistic support partner for ATMIS and the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF).
“Engagements have been productive and provided clarity and a sense of ownership for the successor mission. We have been discussing the details for the follow-on mission because the FGS, AMISOM, and ATMIS have achieved tremendous success and we need to reduce the ATMIS footprint to fit the requirements of the new mission,” General Cheick Dembele, AU Peace Support Operations Head, said.
The involvement of international partners, according to him, underscores the global commitment to Somalia’s stability and security, with their input on transition strategies and potential financing models key to AUSSOM’s successful implementation.
As the AU commendably strives to enhance its response, available funds have yet to be commensurate with the immensity of Africa’s peace and security challenges, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said last month. For instance, the ATMIS annual running cost was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2023. Should the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), become a reality with a similar cost, based on the UN Resolution 2719 75%:25% burden share, the AU will have to contribute $375 million ― 61.5% of the fund’s current capacity. The remaining $235 million of the $610 million will barely cover other missions such as the Multinational Joint Task Force and conflict prevention activities, the ISS noted.