The United Nations political mission in Somalia wrapped up operations on Saturday. This closure concluded a chapter of more than three decades of UN peacebuilding work in the East African nation.
The Security Council originally established the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, known as UNSOM, in 2013 to assist Somali authorities with the transition toward democracy and the rule of law. That came after more than twenty years of conflict involving criminal gangs, militias, and Islamist groups.
International involvement began much earlier with the UN Political Office for Somalia in 1995.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asked the UN in May 2024 to terminate the mission before its mandate expired in October of that year, though he later modified this request by proposing a two-year transition period.
During this adjustment phase, UNSOM was redesignated as the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, or UNTMIS.
Raisedon Zenenga addressed the conclusion of the mandate in a statement. He serves as the UNTMIS officer-in-charge and the deputy special representative of the secretary-general for Somalia.
"Today is not an end to the partnership between the United Nations and Somalia-rather, it marks the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another," Zenenga said.
While challenges remain, the closure of UNTMIS comes after considerable progress by Somalia since the early years of international efforts to support the country’s recovery, he added.
All mandates previously held by the mission have now been transferred to local Somali institutions or the broader UN country team.
This transition occurs as the Al-Qaeda-linked group Al-Shabab maintains control over large areas of central Somalia. The militant organisation has fought the government for two decades despite an ongoing international military campaign.
Military operations face growing threats from international funding reductions. The United States recently withdrew all financial support for a key UN logistics mission, raising doubts about the future viability of these campaigns.
Somalia is scheduled to hold both parliamentary and presidential elections next May. Persistent insecurity and disputes involving the political opposition continue to threaten the electoral process.
