When the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security and authorised the African Union Mission in Somalia in 2007, the mission’s main tasks were to recover most of the country from Al-Shabab’s stranglehold, to support the then Transitional Federal Governmentof Somalia in its efforts to stabilise the country, to foster political dialogue and reconciliation, and tocreate an enabling environment for Somalia’s long-term stabilisation, reconstruction, and development.

The African Union Mission in Somalia and the African Union essentially completed their designatedobjectives over the course of 15 years, with the assistance of the United Nations, the European Union,the Somali government, and the Somali people. Despite the tremendous efforts by the Mission, it facedsome insurmountable challenges that should not be passed on to the successor operation, the AfricanUnion Transition Mission in Somalia. The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, as a transition mission with definite departure dates from Somalia, should receive more substantial, consistent, andlong-term financial and logistical assistance to carry out its responsibilities.