ADDIS ABABA, May 3 — The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council has officially endorsed Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda as the troop-contributing countries (TCCs) for its new stabilization mission in Somalia, AUSSOM, the council said in a statement Friday.
The AU-led mission will involve the deployment of nearly 12,000 personnel aimed at supporting Somalia’s ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab, a jihadist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
According to the AU statement, Uganda will contribute the largest contingent with 4,500 troops, followed by Ethiopia (2,500), Kenya (1,410), Djibouti (1,520), and Egypt (1,091).
The council expressed full support for recent decisions made by the Somalia Operations Coordination Committee (SOCC), highlighting AUSSOM’s strategic role in assisting the Somali federal government with counterterrorism and state-building efforts.
However, it raised concerns about “serious financial and logistical constraints” threatening the mission’s effectiveness. The AU urged member states and international donors to mobilize resources “urgently” to ensure the success of the mission’s mandate.
“The Peace and Security Council stresses the critical need for sustained international engagement,” the communiqué said, calling on global partners to intensify support for Somalia’s stabilization efforts.
The endorsement of the five TCCs marks a major step toward formally establishing AUSSOM, which is expected to replace the current African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by the end of 2025 under a Somali-led security transition plan.
