Museveni vows Africa will stand by Somalia if donors pull out

What the report says

President Yoweri Museveni said African countries will keep backing Somalia’s peace and stabilisation efforts even if the United States and other external partners reduce support for the African Union mission there. He made the remarks in Kampala on the final day of the Second Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of troop-contributing countries to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, held at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

Museveni argued that Africa has enough experience and capacity to handle its own security problems, pointing to past regional cooperation during conflicts involving Uganda, Sudan and the wider Horn of Africa. He also defended Uganda’s military presence in Somalia, saying it was meant to help counter extremist groups and protect regional stability. Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to Somalia in 2007 under AMISOM, and its forces have remained central to later AU operations.

The summit came as the future of AUSSOM funding became uncertain after the United States told the African Union on July 1, 2026, that it would not support renewal of the mission’s mandate when it reaches the UN Security Council in December. According to the article, African leaders still reiterated support for Somalia’s security transition and called for stable, predictable financing. African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also said the AU would continue mobilising political, diplomatic and financial backing for the mission.