The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has concluded a historic two-day visit to Somalia, his first official visit to the country since taking office.

During his visit, the Chairperson made an urgent appeal to the international community, highlighting critical funding shortfalls for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and called for renewed commitment to the country’s peace and stabilization efforts.

In a joint press briefing with Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at Villa Somalia, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf pledged to engage with Somalia’s international partners and emphasized the importance of sustained support.

“I have already started in Addis Ababa to speak to some of our partners so that Somalia is not abandoned. Somalia remains the centre of interest of the international community,” he said.

He added that the African Union peace mission in Somalia is in a transition period. “I want to underline here that these challenges can be overcome but we need commitment, we need engagement, and we need the support of the international community”.