Somalia: UN Ends Somalian Political Mission After 30 Years

What the report says

The United Nations political mission in Somalia, known as UNSOM, has ended after a two-year transition, according to the report, bringing to a close more than 30 years of UN peace-building work in the country. The mission was established by the Security Council in 2013, building on an earlier UN political office that began in 1995, and was intended to support Somalia’s move toward democracy and the rule of law after years of conflict.

The article says the winding down followed a request from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in May 2024 for the UN to end the mission before its mandate expired, later revised to allow a two-year transition period. During that period, the mission operated under the name UNTMIS. Its remaining responsibilities have now been transferred either to Somali institutions or to the UN country team.

A UN official quoted in the report described the closure as the end of one phase of cooperation rather than the end of the wider UN-Somalia relationship. The piece notes that the transition comes amid continuing security concerns, including the threat from Al-Shabaab, which still controls parts of central Somalia despite a long-running military campaign against it. It also comes as Somalia prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections next May, with insecurity and political disputes still affecting the process.