UN Political Mission in Somalia Ends on October 31 After Three Decades, Handing Over to Somali Institutions and UN Agencies
The Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General announced in New York on October 26 that the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) will complete its two-year transition and cease operations on October 31, 2026, transferring its mandated functions to Somali institutions and to UN agencies, funds and programmes. The closure follows Security Council resolutions 2753 (2024) and 2809 (2025) and was requested by the Federal Government of Somalia.
A handover ceremony was held in Mogadishu on October 26, led by Officer-in-Charge Raisedon Zenenga and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama. A joint technical committee oversaw the transfer of functions to Somali institutions, the UN country team led by Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator George Conway, and the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
The Secretary-General commended Somalia's progress and said the United Nations will continue supporting the country through its resident agencies, together with the African Union and other partners. UNTMIS began on November 1, 2024, replacing the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), which had operated since 2013 and itself succeeded the UN Political Office for Somalia, established in 1995. The closure ends three decades of UN special political missions in Somalia.
The UN said support to Somalia will continue through its agencies, funds and programmes under the Resident Coordinator's office after the mission closes.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 索马里摩加迪沙街景。Marco Gualazzini 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A street scene in Mogadishu, Somalia. Photo by Marco Gualazzini, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
