By Bakar Osman - Reporter
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MOGADISHU, 31 October 2026 — The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) officially concluded its work on Saturday, bringing to an end more than 30 years of continuous UN political engagement in the country.
The closure follows a two-year transition process requested by the Federal Government of Somalia, under which UNTMIS responsibilities were gradually transferred to Somali institutions, UN agencies, funds and programmes, and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
The UN's political engagement in Somalia began with the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in 1995. It was followed by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in 2013, before entering its final transition phase under UNTMIS in 2024.
UNTMIS Head Raisedon Zenenga said the mission's closure should not be seen as the end of the partnership between Somalia and the United Nations.
“Today is not the end of the partnership between the United Nations and Somalia, but the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another,” Zenenga said.
The end of the mission places greater responsibility on Somalia's national institutions, as the country takes on a larger role in managing political, state-building and reconciliation priorities that have long received direct UN support.