Three months into its third identity in 18 years, the African Union (AU) mission in Somalia wrapped up a technical work session to finalise capabilities, force composition and deployment plans of what is now AUSSOM (AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia).
The four-day workshop, an AUSSOM statement has it, was “an important step toward the closure and liquidation of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the start-up for AUSSOM”. The mission, originally AMISOM (AU Mission to Somalia) and then ATMIS (AU Transition Mission to Somalia), becomes fully operational by 1 July 2025. The workshop follows the Somalia Operations Co-ordination Committee (SOCC) meeting in February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with Chiefs of Defence Forces, Inspectors General of Police, and Ministers of Defence and Security from troop and police contributing countries (T/PCCs) setting out an operational roadmap for AUSSOM.
“One of the key deliverables of this meeting [the four-day work session] is the finalisation of the statement of unit requirements (SUR), which details specific troop and police capabilities required for AUSSOM to effectively execute its mandate,” Head of the AUC (AU Commission) delegation, Brigadier General Billy Winter is reported as saying in the statement.
The agreed SUR provides a detailed force composition, outlining the operational and logistic requirements for AUSSOM military and police contingents. It includes quick reaction forces (QRFs); tactical battle groups (TBGs); intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities; aviation enablers as well as police components. All are elements designed to enhance AUSSOM operational effectiveness in countering al-Shabaab and stabilising Somalia.
“Planning for AUSSOM has to be centred on Somalia’s national security vision to ensure the start-up is phased, sustainable and based on lessons learnt from previous missions,” Jihan Hassan, Senior Defence Advisor to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said.
She highlighted the mission’s enhanced capabilities, including the integration of more force enablers and multipliers, the deployment of QRFs to enhance operational agility and closer co-ordination with Somali Security Forces (SSF).
“The deployment of dedicated QRFs at sector level is meant to be a game changer in how we respond to emerging threats. Once operational, this will significantly enhance Somalia’s security posture and create conditions for sustainable stabilisation,” according to her.
Other outcomes included finalising sector boundaries and operational areas; agreement on military and police deployments, including repatriation plans; strategic adjustments to enhance force mobility and responsiveness and refining memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with T/PCC countries to ensure a structured contribution of forces.
