Only with the host nation’s consent can UN missions be sent out. The UN has been the target of animosity in recent years, especially in Africa.
The UN Security Council, which has had a political mission in Somalia for over ten years, has decided to start the process of withdrawing from the country after two years.
After more than two decades of conflict between criminal gangs, militias, and extremist organizations, the UN Security Council created UNSOM in 2013 to assist Somali authorities in their transition to democracy and the rule of law.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is still working to end the long-term insecurity in Somalia.
When the assistance mission’s mandate expires in October, his administration requested in May that the world body terminate it; but, the request was then modified to propose a two-year transition period.
The Security Council decided to move forward with a transition and plans for UNSOM to conclude its mission on October 31, 2026, in a unanimously approved resolution on Wednesday.
The UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia, or UNTMIS, will be the new name for UNSOM.
The mission’s primary focus during the first year of the transition period will be on human rights protection and attempts to hold free and fair elections. At the end of the first year, some of its work will be turned over to Somali authorities.
Only with the host nation’s consent can UN missions be sent out. The UN has been the target of animosity in recent years, especially in Africa.
