Somalia: Somali President Tells AU Peacekeepers to Leave

What the report says

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Somalia is now ready to handle its own security and urged African Union peacekeepers to leave the country, according to the report. He made the remarks in Galmudug on Sunday, thanking African troops for their role after years of fighting al-Shabaab. The statement comes as the AU’s military presence in Somalia is already being reduced through a broader transition from older peacekeeping arrangements to newer support missions.

The article says the African Union mission in Somalia began in 2007 and became the main international ground force against al-Shabaab and a backer of Somalia’s fragile federal government. It has since been replaced first by ATMIS in 2022 and then by AUSSOM on January 1, 2025, as responsibility has gradually shifted to Somali forces. The government says it has taken over a number of former AU bases, but the handover has been slowed by financing, logistics and disagreements over troop contributions.

The report also places the announcement in a changing foreign security landscape. Turkey has expanded its military training and advisory role in Somalia, the United States continues intelligence and air support, Egypt has joined the AU mission, and Uganda and Ethiopia maintain deployments. This mix means Somalia is moving away from one large multinational peacekeeping force toward a more fragmented system of foreign partnerships, which could reshape how the fight against al-Shabaab is managed.