Burundi pulls out of new AU mission in Somalia
Burundi has decided against joining the new African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which is set to begin in 2025.
This decision follows a disagreement with Somalia over the number of troops Burundi could send.
Somalia offered Burundi 1,041 troops for the mission, but Burundi wanted to deploy at least 2,000. The Burundian government said the offer was “inadequate and disrespectful.”
Despite discussions, no agreement was reached, local reports confirm.
According to Burundi’s embassy in Addis, Burundi’s Permanent Representative to the African Union conveyed Burundi’s unfortunate non-participation in AUSSOM following the lack of consensus.
Burundi has been a key contributor to peacekeeping in Somalia since 2007. Its troops have played a major role in fighting Al-Shabab militants and stabilising conflict areas under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which AUSSOM will replace.
Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, thanked Burundi for its past contributions and expressed regret over the decision. He also requested a technical team from Burundi to plan an orderly withdrawal of troops and handover of positions to Somali forces.
Burundi’s decision also comes amid pressure from its citizens over the loss of soldiers in the fight against Al-Shabab. Reports suggest resistance to deploying troops in the Gedo region, where tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia remain high, may have influenced the decision.
Burundi’s exit marks the end of a 16-year role in Somalia’s peacekeeping efforts. The African Union and other troop-contributing countries will now have to adjust plans to ensure AUSSOM can succeed in its mission.
