UNITED NATIONS, Dec 24 (APP): The UN Security Council Tuesday extended the authorization of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) until 31 December 2026, with Pakistan calling the peacekeeping force \u201ccritical\u201d in supporting Mogadishu\u2019s fight against Al-Shabaab, an armed militant group, and achieving peace and stability in the African country.<\/p>\n
Unanimously adopting resolution 2809 (2025), the 15-member Council authorized African Union members to continue to deploy up to 11,826 uniformed personnel, inclusive of 680 police personnel, to AUSSOM until that date.<\/p>\n
It emphasized that additional support to AUSSOM and the Somali Security Forces is necessary to enable Somalia to bolster its fight against Al-Shabaab and improve peace and security in the country and the region, and urged traditional and new donors to support by providing the necessary funding to AUSSOM.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that AUSSOM, operating under the principles of national ownership and in full respect for national sovereignty, will play a critical role in supporting Somalia\u2019s goal of independently conducting security operations in the future,\u201d Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said while explaining his vote in support of the resolution.<\/p>\n
In this context, he said, Pakistan firmly believes that sustainable and predictable financing for AUSSOM remains vital to preserving the hard-won gains against Al-Shabaab.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomalia is a brotherly country to Pakistan, and we reaffirm our steadfast support for its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity,
\nthe Pakistani envoy said.<\/p>\n
Under the terms of the resolution, the Council also decided that the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) shall cease all operations on 31 October 2026 after completing the second phase of its transition and endorsed the implementation of the road map proposed by the Secretary-General in his 30 September report.<\/p>\n
The text also condemned the attacks by Al-Shabaab targeting security forces and AUSSOM personnel in Somalia and the wider region, and its other terrorist attacks, hostage-taking and kidnapping of civilians, and its recruitment, training and use of foreign terrorist fighters. It urged the Federal Government of Somalia to ensure coordination between AUSSOM and international security partners\u2019 operations in Somalia to maximize coherence and effectiveness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 24 (APP): The UN Security Council Tuesday extended the authorization of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) until 31 December 2026, with Pakistan calling the peacekeeping force \u201ccritical\u201d in supporting Mogadishu\u2019s fight against Al-Shabaab, an armed militant group, […]<\/p>\n
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