Mogadishu, Somalia – The African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) has been deploying its personnel without pay for the past seven to nine months, raising serious concerns about the mission’s ability to operate effectively.

Speaking to the United Nations Security Council on April 9, Mr. Sivuyile Bam, Acting Head of AUSSOM, warned that the mission is facing a severe funding crisis.

“The mandate of AUSSOM is at stake. The financial situation of AUSSOM is dire and an existential risk to the Mission’s very survival,” he said.

According to Bam, the mission has continued operations without a sustainable financing mechanism.

“The impact of unpredictable and unsustainable financing mechanism is real for AUSSOM, as it had to continue deploying personnel without remuneration for the past 7–9 months,” he added.

The crisis has forced a significant reduction in both civilian and uniformed staff at AUSSOM’s headquarters.

Efforts are underway by the African Union and the United Nations to secure funding, and a deployment plan was recently finalized in Mogadishu.

“While efforts on the financing mechanism are underway by the UN and AU, I am pleased to report that the Commission finalised the AUSSOM capacity generation and deployment plan,” Bam said.

He urged the Security Council to remain engaged and support the mission during this critical period.