By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Somalia, August 1 2026 - Leaders of countries contributing troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia agreed at a summit in Kampala to support Somalia’s security transition for another 18 to 24 months, and called for reliable funding and stronger Somali forces.
The communiqué also became politically significant after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud objected to draft language dealing with Somalia’s internal politics.
What was the summit about?
The July 31 summit brought together Somalia and AUSSOM troop-contributing countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Burundi and Egypt, alongside representatives of the African Union, IGAD and the United Nations.
The leaders reviewed:
• Somalia’s security situation;
• AUSSOM’s deployment and operational progress;
• the readiness of Somali security forces;
• air and intelligence capabilities; and
• the mission’s funding needs.
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What did leaders agree on the AUSSOM transition?
The summit called for an orderly, coordinated and phased exit of AUSSOM.
However, it also said a United Nations Security Council-mandated support arrangement should continue providing uninterrupted assistance for 18 to 24 months.
That period is intended to give Somalia time to:
• implement agreed security milestones;
• strengthen national security institutions;
• improve the capabilities of Somali forces; and
• transfer security responsibilities from AUSSOM in an organised manner.
The 18-to-24-month period is therefore not simply an extension of foreign troop deployment. It is presented as a transition window tied to specific security benchmarks.
Why is financing central to the plan?
The communiqué acknowledged that AUSSOM is already facing financial shortfalls.
It directed foreign ministers from troop-contributing countries, working with Somalia and the African Union, to create a joint task force to seek predictable and sustainable financing.
The summit also proposed a donors’ and partners’ conference to raise money and political support for the mission.
Without additional financing, the planned transition could be disrupted before Somali forces are ready to assume full responsibility.
What military support did the summit request?
The leaders highlighted an urgent need to improve:
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• air assets;
• intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities;
• military training;
• an integrated operational doctrine; and
• long-term mentoring and capacity-building.
The communiqué also supported Somalia’s continued use of Community and Local Defence Forces to hold areas recovered from Al-Shabaab.
It urged the federal government to work more closely with Federal Member States and traditional elders in the campaign against the group.
Why did Hassan Sheikh object to the draft communiqué?
An earlier draft included provisions dealing directly with Somalia’s domestic political process.
It called for a unified Somalia, stronger democratic governance and national institutions. It also requested President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to convene a conference of Somali political leaders and federal member state leaders, with heads of state from AUSSOM troop-contributing countries attending as observers.
Hassan Sheikh objected during the plenary session, saying those matters were internal to Somalia and should not appear in a communiqué focused on security and AUSSOM financing.
“Political matters of Somalia is very internal and Somalia does not want to be included in this communiqué,” he said.
He said the summit had been convened to address Al-Shabaab, Somalia’s security situation and AUSSOM’s funding gap.
“The local politics of Somalia must not be internationalized, regionalized,” he said, adding that Somalia would address those matters through its own political processes.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who chaired the meeting, asked whether Somalia wanted the political section removed. Hassan Sheikh said his delegation would work with the drafting team, after which Museveni instructed officials to revise the text.
What changed in the final communiqué?
The final document retained broad language supporting:
• Somali unity;
• democratic governance;
• stronger national institutions; and
• the prioritisation of national interests over identity-based politics.
But it omitted the specific request for Hassan Sheikh to convene a political conference attended by regional leaders as observers.
That change showed that Somalia accepted general regional support for political stability but rejected detailed external involvement in its domestic political process.
What happens next?
The summit agreed to submit its decisions to the African Union Peace and Security Council for endorsement.
They are then expected to be forwarded to the United Nations Security Council as a working document for decisions on AUSSOM’s mandate, financing and transition arrangements.
The key issue will be whether international partners provide enough money and military support to sustain the mission during the proposed 18-to-24-month transition period.