Somalia-Ethiopia Tensions and Funding Issues Threaten ATMIS Mission Transition

Ongoing tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, coupled with funding uncertainties, are raising concerns about the successful completion of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), as the peacekeeping initiative nears its planned exit phase. ATMIS, which has played a critical role in supporting Somalia’s stability, is now facing significant challenges to its transition.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud recently convened with leaders from countries contributing troops to ATMIS, including Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, and Burundi. However, the discussions highlighted unresolved funding for a successor mission and tensions around the inclusion of Ethiopian forces in Somalia.

The international community remains divided over the financial support needed to establish a new peacekeeping framework in Somalia. While some UN Security Council members are hesitant to back the mission’s continuation in its current form, others, including the United States and its allies, are advocating for a renewed mission in 2026. UN officials have suggested a possible extension of ATMIS to allow time for reviewing new operational models.

Somalia has emphasized its intention to assume greater leadership in the peacekeeping mission, which includes selecting the countries contributing troops to ATMIS. Somali officials have asserted that Ethiopian forces, currently stationed in Somalia under ATMIS, should not remain as part of this framework.

These challenges present a critical juncture for Somalia’s security landscape as ATMIS phases out and discussions continue over what structure will ultimately replace it.