By Asha Elmi - Editor-in-Chief
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NEW YORK, September 24, 2026 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and UN Secretary-General António Guterres discussed security developments in Somalia and continued support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) during a meeting on Wednesday, according to a UN readout.
The meeting took place in New York during the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
Guterres reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to Somalia’s key national priorities, the readout said. It announced no new agreement or funding pledge for AUSSOM.
The talks came days after the United States said it was willing to support a 12-month drawdown beginning in January 2027 of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), followed by its closure, Reuters reported. UNSOS provides AUSSOM with logistical assistance, including food, fuel, medical support and transport.
The U.S. proposal has not formally extended UNSOS’s mandate. The current mandates for UNSOS and AUSSOM run through Dec. 31, 2026. Washington said it expected the proposed drawdown and its timetable to be discussed during UN Security Council deliberations in December.