New York – Kenya has issued an international appeal calling on Cyprus to make the fight against Al-Shabaab a top priority when it assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2026, officials said Monday.
The call was made by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Minister for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Mudavadi warned of waning international attention on security efforts in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia, which he said could undermine progress made in stabilising the region.
“There is a growing international political fatigue driven by other global conflicts and shifting priorities,” Mudavadi said. “Support previously extended to Somalia has declined significantly, leaving frontline states like Kenya to bear a disproportionate burden.”
Kenya currently contributes nearly 3,000 troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Mudavadi cautioned that a premature withdrawal of Kenyan forces could create a dangerous security vacuum that other nations may not be prepared to fill.
The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which is set to succeed ATMIS, is also facing a serious funding shortfall. Despite a projected annual budget of $166.5 million, only $16.7 million has so far been pledged.
UN Security Council Resolution 2719, designed to facilitate direct financial support to the mission through assessed contributions, remains incomplete, exacerbating the fiscal crisis facing peacekeeping efforts in Somalia.
Cyprus is expected to take over the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2026, marking its second term since 2012. Kenya hopes the island nation will champion regional security issues during its leadership, with a particular focus on countering Al-Shabaab.
