The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) ends Oct. 31, 2026, shifting its assigned responsibilities to Somali institutions and other U.N. bodies while broader support continues.
Security Council Resolution 2809 (2025) set the mission’s closing date. Resolution 2753 (2024) outlined a two-phase transition beginning Nov. 1, 2024, after Somalia’s federal government requested the change.
The U.N. said the work assigned to UNTMIS is now handled by Somali institutions and U.N. agencies, funds and programs. Raisedon Zenenga, officer-in-charge of UNTMIS, said Somali authorities and the U.N. developed the transition roadmap together. “The partnership between Somalia and the UN will endure,” Zenenga said.
Security Council records trace the U.N.’s political presence in Somalia to the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), established in 1995. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) succeeded it in 2013 and was renamed UNTMIS during the 2024 transition. Transition priorities included constitutional review and elections, human rights, rule of law and security-sector support.
The mission’s closure will not end the U.N.’s wider work in the country. Resident agencies, funds and programs will continue working with Somali authorities, the African Union and other partners. Resolution 2809 extends authorization for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) through Dec. 31, 2026, allowing up to 11,826 uniformed personnel, including 680 police personnel. U.N. logistical support will continue through the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ 2026 plan estimated that 4.8 million people would need assistance and sought $852 million to reach 2.4 million people.
The Associated Press reported Oct. 29 that no agreement was in place on a successor mechanism to mediate political disputes after UNTMIS closes. It quoted Mohamed Husein Gaas, director of the RAAD Peace Research Institute, warning Somalia could face a political crisis without such a mechanism.
The presidency said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud invited political groups and civil society representatives to talks in Mogadishu on Nov. 14-18, 2026.
