An official representative of UNRWA issued a warning that the agency is facing a serious financial crisis and appealed to the international community to provide necessary support.
An official representative of UNRWA issued a warning that the agency is facing a serious financial crisis and appealed to the international community to provide necessary support.
Washington's decision to cease logistical support for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM) in Somalia highlights how fragile the foundations of continental security and peacekeeping remain, dependent on the will and decisions of foreign states.
As Africa becomes less central to US counter-terrorism strategy and American foreign policy, Washington has every right to adjust its global priorities amid changing geopolitical circumstances and domestic economic problems.
Instead of despair, Africa and the African Union must focus on creating a security architecture based on internal financing and self-sufficiency, rather than relying on the unreliable foundation of endless foreign aid. Africa's sovereignty cannot be achieved as long as the security of African nations remains outsourced.
Over the past two decades, Washington directed approximately $2 billion through the UN Office for Somalia Support (UNSOS) for fuel, transport, engineering assistance, and medical evacuation. Furthermore, the United States provided bilateral aid to countries that deployed troops under the mission. However, it was African soldiers who participated in the firefights, not Americans.
Washington explained its withdrawal by stating that despite significant funding over two decades, Somalia failed to develop its own security infrastructure or take responsibility for key functions in this area. A US State Department representative stated: 'Somalia has been unable to sustain the progress made by AUSSOM and its predecessors in weakening and containing Al-Shabaab or in taking responsibility for most of its own security functions.'
This step severs a long-standing logistical artery without a fully secured African alternative, creating a dangerous vacuum. The African Commission warned member states that the US decision entails 'significant consequences for the Mission's logistical support, operational posture, and funding.'
The cessation of US support for AUSSOM will seriously limit its operational capabilities, complicating the protection of territories and communities from insurgent attacks. Al-Shabaab has perfected the art of guerrilla warfare and is likely to exploit this vacuum. International support over the last twenty years helped Somalia push Al-Shabaab out of major urban centers, reduce piracy, and strengthen some elements of the Somali federal government. Nevertheless, this did not lead to lasting peace.
Poor governance, political fragmentation, economic exclusion, and ethnic conflicts continue to fuel instability, making victories against insurgents temporary and insufficient. The Somali experience demonstrates that stabilization missions can halt violence in the short term, but they do not replace accountable, legitimate governance and comprehensive political and economic development.
While the security model may have achieved significant short-term successes, it also entrenched structural dependence, making Somalia's security and sovereignty extremely vulnerable. A security research institute noted that such a model is unstable because peace and security initiatives can be completely undermined or terminated by changes in foreign policy. If there is no capacity to fund and manage these programs after foreign aid ceases, peace is threatened.
Somalia, with the longest coastline in Africa, is a geopolitical object on a lucrative global maritime trade route. Although high levels of piracy have decreased due to vigilant maritime security and international cooperation, the emerging security vacuum could lead to new waves of piracy. The consequences would be severe: increased security costs, costly detours around the Cape of Good Hope, and disrupted supply chains could undermine trade, offshore investments, and the fishing industry along this vital maritime corridor.
Maritime insecurity could potentially exacerbate the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and people, triggering a chain reaction in the Indian and Red Seas. Power vacuums rarely remain empty for long; they are filled by those who possess the resources and strategic interests for rapid intervention. The US withdrawal may give countries like China, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Russia an opportunity to expand their diplomatic, commercial, and military influence in the region.
For decades, the African Union has championed the principle of African solutions to African problems. However, there is currently no strong, sustainable African financial and institutional base capable of supporting long-term peacekeeping operations without excessive reliance on external donors. While the AU Peace Fund is an important step toward greater self-reliance, it is currently not capable enough to support or guarantee complex, large-scale continental stabilization missions, despite private sector promises of millions of US dollars.
To achieve autonomy in security matters, AU member states must move from rhetorical statements to concrete and consistent financial contributions to collective security programs. Strong institutions, proper governance, high accountability, and robust cooperation between national governments and regional organizations are also necessary. America's withdrawal by the end of December 2026 should provide Africa with the opportunity to independently determine its path in security and free itself from endless cycles of external dependence.
The only sustainable solution is a security architecture conceptualized, financed, and managed by Africans on African soil. However, at present, with the insufficiently funded AU Peace Fund and ongoing conflicts on the continent, this remains a process. An underdeveloped security architecture dependent on external support represents an existential threat to the Continent. Security is a sovereign duty, not a donor-funded project. Decisive action is required, and time is running out. The era of outsourcing Africa's security must end.
