Cairo (Somalia Today) — Funding problems, logistical arrangements and operational requirements are delaying the deployment of Egyptian troops to the African Union mission in Somalia, a senior Somali foreign ministry official has said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Mohamed Omar said Egypt remained ready to deploy its contingent to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM.
“Egypt has clearly demonstrated its readiness to deploy its forces,” Omar told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat in an interview published on Sunday.
He pointed to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s visit to Egyptian troops preparing for the mission as evidence of Cairo’s readiness.
“The crisis is not a lack of Egyptian political commitment or readiness,” Omar said.
He said the deployment must take place within agreed African Union and United Nations arrangements, including the sequencing of troop rotations, logistics and operational requirements.
Omar also cited the broader challenge of securing sustainable funding for AUSSOM, saying Somalia wanted the remaining arrangements completed as quickly as possible.
Long-delayed deployment
Egypt is among the countries selected to contribute forces to AUSSOM, which replaced the previous African Union mission in Somalia at the start of 2025.
UN planning documents have envisaged the deployment of 1,091 Egyptian troops as part of changes to the mission’s force structure, alongside the withdrawal of Burundian personnel.
The African Union reiterated in February that Egypt was ready to contribute troops and called for the acceleration of its deployment alongside the repatriation of Burundian forces and a Ghanaian police unit.
Preparations have been under way for more than a year, but the Egyptian contingent has yet to deploy.
Egypt’s participation would further expand the security relationship between Cairo and Mogadishu, which has deepened in recent years, including military assistance, training and closer political cooperation.
Egyptian troops would also join other AUSSOM contingents to support Somali forces against Al-Shabaab and help with the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali authorities.
Funding pressure
The delay comes as AUSSOM faces persistent uncertainty over how its operations will be financed.
The mission depends heavily on United Nations logistical support for food, fuel, aviation, medical evacuation, transport and other operational needs.
For the 2025-26 financial year, AUSSOM required about $190 million for troop reimbursements. However, the African Union had secured only around $120 million in confirmed pledges, Somalia Today reported in July.
The UN logistical operation supporting AUSSOM is itself worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually, making predictable donor financing central to the mission’s ability to sustain troops and bases across Somalia.
The funding challenge has become more acute as the United States has signalled that it will not support continued UN logistical assistance to AUSSOM beyond the end of 2026.
The African Union has repeatedly called for predictable and sustainable financing, warning that continued shortfalls could undermine the mission.
The uncertainty comes as AUSSOM continues to support Somali forces fighting Al-Shabaab while Mogadishu seeks to assume greater responsibility for national security.