UN Ends 30-Year Political Mission in Somalia After Two-Year Transition

The United Nations has officially ended its political mission in Somalia after a two-year transition, bringing an end to more than three decades of peacebuilding operations in the East African country.

The mission, known as the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), concluded its operations on Saturday following the transfer of its responsibilities to Somali institutions and the UN country team.

The mission began in 1995 as the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) and was replaced by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in 2013.

UNSOM was established by the UN Security Council to support Somalia's transition to democracy, strengthen the rule of law and assist the country in rebuilding after decades of conflict involving militias, Islamist groups and criminal gangs.

In May 2024, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud requested the termination of the mission ahead of the expiration of its mandate in October that year. However, he later revised the request and proposed a two-year transition period.

During the transition, UNSOM was renamed UNTMIS to oversee the gradual transfer of its responsibilities.

In a statement marking the closure, UNTMIS officer-in-charge and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Raisedon Zenenga, described the development as the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another in the relationship between Somalia and the United Nations.

He acknowledged that significant challenges remained but noted that Somalia had recorded considerable progress since international efforts to support its recovery began.

The closure comes as Somalia continues to battle Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has fought the government for about two decades and still controls large parts of central Somalia.

Efforts to combat the insurgents have also faced funding challenges, particularly following the United States' withdrawal of financial support for a key UN logistics mission, raising concerns about the future of military operations.

Meanwhile, Somalia is expected to hold parliamentary and presidential elections next May, although persistent insecurity and disagreements between the government and opposition groups pose challenges to the electoral process.