Somalia peacekeeping mission at risk as US blocks UN support, sources say

MOGADISHU, July 2 - The United States has said it will prevent the United Nations supporting an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia from the start of next year, two documents showed, in a move that officials said is likely to end its operations.

The nearly 12,000-strong AU mission props up the fragile government in Mogadishu, helping it push back al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants, whose previous offensives have brought them within striking distance of the capital and who control large swaths of the countryside in southern and central Somalia.

However, the mission, known as the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), relies heavily on U.N. support for essential logistics such as food, water, fuel, medical services and transportation of troops.

Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government has grown increasingly frustrated with the administration in Mogadishu, which is riven by political infighting and has failed to defeat the insurgents despite years of international support.

In a July 1 diplomatic note reviewed by Reuters, Washington informed the AU that it would not support the U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), whose total budget is around $500 million, beyond the end of this year.

The U.S. government would not object to the U.N. Security Council renewing the AU mission's mandate when it comes up for renewal, but would oppose any extension that included U.N. logistical or operational support, it said.

The AUSSOM budget last year was $190 million, but financing for the mission has become increasingly precarious, leading to a huge funding shortfall. Washington last year blocked a plan to shift to a financing model that would have seen the U.N. funds cover three-quarters of the budget.

'HUGE IMPLICATIONS'

On Thursday, the AU Commission informed members of its Peace and Security Council of the U.S. decision, warning that it carried "significant implications for the logistical sustainment, operational posture and financing of the Mission", according to a letter from the AU to its members.

Somalia's defence ministry, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of War, the U.N. Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia and the African Union Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this article.

"This will have huge ramifications for Somalia," Ahmed Koshin, a former director general in Somalia's defence ministry and current member of the national parliament, told Reuters.

"The peacekeeping mission is in danger because ultimately you need to be able to support and sustain these forces," he said.

Two diplomats with direct knowledge of the AU mission said it would not be able to continue unless another body replaced the U.N. support.

In its note to the AU, Washington delivered a stinging critique of the Somali government's efforts to restore order in the country.

"Despite more than a decade of international support, Somalia has been unable to sustain progress against al-Shabaab, take ownership of its security functions, or undertake serious security sector reform," it said.

"Internal rivalries and political infighting continue to undermine the fight against al-Shabaab and ISIS, and the benefits of international support will remain limited until Somalia's leaders unite to address the country's security and governance challenges," it added. REUTERS