UN ends Somalia political mission after 30 years

The United Nations political mission in Somalia closed on Saturday following a two-year transition, bringing to an end more than three decades of UN political and peacebuilding missions in the country. The UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, known as UNTMIS, completed its work with its responsibilities transferred to Somali institutions or the UN country team.

The mission’s closure follows a process initiated by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in May 2024, when he requested that the UN end its political mission ahead of the expiry of its mandate that October. Mohamud subsequently revised the request and proposed a two-year transition to allow responsibilities to be handed over. During that period, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, or UNSOM, was renamed UNTMIS.

UNSOM was established by the UN Security Council in 2013 to support Somali authorities in strengthening democratic governance and the rule of law after more than two decades of conflict involving militias, Islamist groups and criminal gangs. It succeeded the UN Political Office for Somalia, which began operating in 1995.

Marking the closure, Raisedon Zenenga, UNTMIS officer-in-charge and the UN secretary-general’s deputy special representative for Somalia, said the change did not signal an end to cooperation. “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,” he said in a statement.

Zenenga acknowledged the difficulties still facing the country but said Somalia had made substantial advances since the beginning of international recovery efforts. “While significant 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.

The transition takes place amid continued insecurity linked to Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group that has fought the Somali government for approximately two decades. The group retains control over large areas of central Somalia despite an extensive international military campaign against it. Operations against Al-Shabaab also face financial uncertainty as international support declines.

The United States has withdrawn all funding for a key UN logistics mission, raising questions about the sustainability of military operations. Somalia is scheduled to hold parliamentary and presidential elections next May. Persistent insecurity and disagreements involving opposition groups remain potential obstacles to the electoral process.