Somali government and the U.N. political mission office in Somalia have started discussions to plan an orderly transition from the U.N. special political mission to a U.N. Country Team.
Former Foreign Minister Ambassador Yusuf Garad Omar led the Somali government technical committee, while the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations led the U.N. team.
Ambassador Omar wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “The Somali government has embarked on discussions with the U.N. to plan an orderly transition from a special political mission to a U.N. Country Team. It began with a historic meeting between technical teams from both sides. Discussions are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.”
The federal government has outlined its plans to assume control over certain activities currently managed by the United Nations political office, with the rest to be overseen by a new United Nations office that will replace the current one.
The government stated that the step symbolizes its progress, as Somalia is set to become a member of the Security Council in 2025.
The 360-member United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has advised Somalia on peace-building, security reforms, and democracy for over a decade. However, the government requested that the office be terminated when its mandate expires in October.
Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Moalim Fiqi did not provide specific reasons for the decision, stating only that the government believes “it is now appropriate to transition to the next phase of our partnership.”
