Deadline or deadlock? AMISOM’s future in Somalia

Reconfiguring AMISOM would be better for Somalia than the focus on its withdrawal that preoccupies donor countries.

The African Union Mission in Somalia’s (AMISOM) planned transition of primary security responsibilities to Somalia’s security forces is under way. However its 2021 deadline is unrealistic. Somalia doesn’t have an enabling security environment and its army has limited capacity to sustain the transition due to Somalia’s political crisis, logistical constraints and operational gaps. Somalia’s security must be improved by both enhancing AMISOM and supporting Somalia’s political process.

About the author

Dr Jide Martyns Okeke is a governance, peace and security expert. Until recently he was a Mason Fellow on Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a consultant for the Institute for Security Studies. He previously worked for the African Union and the United Nations Development Programme.