Ethiopia has officially reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to supporting peace, security, and stability across Somalia, reiterating its full backing for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The East African nation emphasized the critical necessity of regional cooperation to protect hard-won security gains and prevent any potential resurgence of terrorist threats across the Horn of Africa.
The high-level pledge was delivered during the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Troop-Contributing Countries (TCCs) to AUSSOM, convened in Kampala, Uganda. The summit brought together leaders, senior officials, and representatives from across the region to deliberate on the mission’s future operational framework and formulate a cohesive, collective response to ongoing security challenges in Somalia.
Addressing the assembled leaders, the Ethiopian delegation stressed that preserving the extensive security milestones achieved through years of anti-terrorism operations is a shared responsibility among all regional stakeholders. Ethiopia emphasized that the continent cannot afford any step backward after years of dedicated joint operations alongside the Somali security forces, the African Union, and key international partners.
The delegation noted that the sacrifices made by thousands of Somali, Ethiopian, Ugandan, Kenyan, Burundian, and Djiboutian soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace must not be allowed to fade, underscoring that protecting those gains is essential for Somalia’s long-term stability and the broader security of the Horn of Africa.
Furthermore, the delegation highlighted the extensive history of Ethiopia’s military involvement in regional stabilization. For more than two decades, members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) have served under successive African Union mandates in Somalia, demonstrating unwavering dedication, high professionalism, and courage while playing a central role in neutralizing threat actor networks despite incurring significant human and material costs.
The Kampala summit comes at a pivotal juncture as AUSSOM enters a crucial transition phase aimed at bolstering Somalia’s national security infrastructure and supporting its state-building initiatives. Regional leaders emphasized that coordinated, seamless action among troop-contributing nations will be vital to ensure that Somalia’s defense forces are fully equipped and prepared to assume total security responsibility over time.
To support this critical transition, Ethiopia pledged to continue its multi-faceted assistance by deepening diplomatic, military, and institutional cooperation with regional and international partners. Key priorities highlighted include sustaining pressure on extremist networks operating within the Horn of Africa through counter-terrorism operations, supporting the training and development of Somalia’s national defense and security organs through institutional capacity building, and aligning African Union mandates with long-term regional development goals for multilateral stabilization.
