Mogadishu, 25 March 2025 – The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has concluded a historic two-day visit to Somalia, his first official visit to the country since taking office.
During his visit, the Chairperson made an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting critical funding shortfalls for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and called for renewed commitment to the country’s peace and stabilization efforts.
In a joint press briefing with Somalia’s President, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at Villa Somalia, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf pledged to engage with Somalia’s international partners and emphasized the importance of sustained support.
“I have already started in Addis Ababa to speak to some of our partners so that Somalia is not abandoned. Somalia remains the centre of interest of the international community,” he said.
He added that the African Union peace mission in Somalia is in a transition period. “I want to underline here that these challenges can be overcome but we need commitment, we need engagement, and we need the support of the international community”.
The AUC Chairperson highlighted Somalia’s achievements in the fight against terrorism, including economic progress, debt relief, membership to the East African Community, and election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Somalia’s President, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, expressed optimism in overcoming the challenges facing AUSSOM through collaboration with the new leadership of the African Union Commission.
“Somalia has proven to be a very successful experience and experiment for the African Union’s quest for African solutions to African problems. This has been proven to be a fact and doable. Africa can solve its own problems of course, with the support of the international community,” said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
On the second day of his visit, the AUC Chairperson held consultative talks with international partners to lobby support for AUSSOM. Representatives from the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and Ambassadors from China, the European Union, Italy, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States attended the meeting. Also present were Ambassadors from Troop-Contributing Countries, including Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
“I recognise your countries, your organisations and the support you have offered to Somalia for many decades. However, this is not the time to withdraw from Somalia. The stability and the security of Somalia benefits not only the people but also the international community as a whole,” the Chairperson told the representatives.
He emphasized the crucial role of international support in preventing piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Somali Sea, as well as countering the Al-Shabaab threat.
The Acting UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, James Swan, reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to continued collaboration with the African Union.
“We continue to see AUSSOM as indispensable. It is playing a critical role not only in supporting but also encouraging Somali forces at this time, and that must continue,” he said.
During his visit, the AU Commission Chairperson met with Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Barre, attended evening prayers and an Iftar dinner graciously hosted by H.E. President Mohamud.
The Chairperson later inspected and commissioned newly constructed accommodation and cafeteria facilities for AUSSOM personnel. He held a town hall meeting with AU staff to reaffirm the Commission’s support for their peace support operations and visited the Force Headquarters, where he laid a wreath to honour fallen African Union and Somali soldiers.
“I would like to pay special tribute to the courageous men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their legacy is a solemn reminder of the cost of peace and a testament to the enduring spirit of African solidarity and collective responsibility”, read his tribute.
He was seen off at the airport by Somalia’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Abdisalam Abdi Ali, and a delegation of senior officials from both the Federal Government of Somalia and AUSSOM.
