The United Nations will close its political mission in Somalia on Saturday, October 31, ending more than 30 years of UN missions supporting peace, state-building and reconciliation in the country.
The UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) completes its two-year mandate this week. The Security Council chose not to renew it after the Somali government asked to take greater ownership of its own peacebuilding and state-building.
The mission’s remaining work will pass to Somali institutions and to UN agencies, funds and programmes that already operate in the country, which continue to run humanitarian and development work.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the progress made over the decades and thanked successive special representatives and mission staff. He also paid tribute to UN personnel who lost their lives while serving in Somalia.
The closure comes at a sensitive time. Somalia faces a disputed timetable for elections in 2027, renewed fighting with Al-Shabaab, and a humanitarian crisis in which UN agencies have warned of severe hunger affecting millions. The African Union’s AUSSOM force remains in the country.
Sources: UN News; Somalia Today.
