Egypt’s mission to the African Union (AU) has successfully led the Union’s efforts to fill the funding gap of $25.9m for the AU mission in Somalia, which faced a financial crisis.
As the chairperson of the AU Budget Committee, the mission conducted intensive consultations with the member states, the AU Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and other departments, to find African solutions to the funding gap by using the AU’s special funds, rationalizing some expenditures, and utilizing the Union’s financial savings.
Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the AU, Mohamed Gad, explained the work of the Budget Committee, which was mandated by the AU foreign ministers during their last meeting in Nairobi in July 2023, to adopt a proposal to close the funding gap.
Gad said that the Union’s ability to find African solutions demonstrated the commitment of the member states to their responsibilities towards peace and security issues on the continent, and refuted any claims to the contrary.
He also emphasized the importance of continuing to support the efforts to access the UN-assessed contributions to finance the AU-led peace support operations, in light of the UN Security Council’s primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Egypt attaches great importance to the stability of the situation in Somalia and supports all efforts to enhance peace and security and to build the institutional capacities of the Somali people.
