Letter From Mogadishu: UN starts winding up Somalia operations as judiciary strikes for free speech

A worker puts up a sign for the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Headquarters in Mogadishu. [Courtesy, UNSOM]

It is now official, the United Nations operations in Somalia have started winding down after the United States withdrew its financial support effective December 31, 2026.

Last week, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) issued a tender seeking licensed auctioneers to sell a wide range of UN-owned equipment and vehicles as the December deadline looms ever closer.

UNSOS is seeking expressions of interest from qualified auctioneers to establish a local contract for the commercial sale of UN property in Somalia.

The initial contract is expected to run for three months, with three possible extensions of three-month, subject to performance and continued operational needs.

While the UN auction notice does not state that the listed equipment is being sold because of the planned reduction in US funding, the timing of the tender comes amid broader uncertainty over the future scale and logistical structure of international operations supporting Somalia's security transition.

Among the items the UN wants to dispose of include vehicles, generators, computers and other information technology equipment and office equipment.

Also to be sold are shipping containers, security watchtowers, wastewater treatment plants, prefabricated accommodation materials, medical and laboratory equipment, electrical appliances and heavy construction machinery.

The UN noted that the list of items it had released was indicative and could include other items not put out for sale.

The tender comes as the future of international support for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), faces growing uncertainty.

The United States, the main financial contributor to the UN Support Office in Somalia, has said it will end its funding for UNSOS by December 31, 2026, according to UN and diplomatic discussions. Washington has also opposed extending UN logistical support for AUSSOM beyond the current arrangements.

UNSOS provides critical logistical and administrative support to AUSSOM and other UN operations in Somalia, including transportation, fuel, food and other nonlethal supplies.

AUSSOM, which supports Somali forces in their fight against al-Shabab, has about 12,000 troops and police officers from African countries contributing personnel to the mission.

Leaders of AUSSOM troop-contributing countries who met in Kampala two weeks ago called for continued international support, warning that a premature reduction in assistance could create a security vacuum as Somalia seeks to assume greater responsibility for its own security.

Somalia is reported to be looking at the Arab world for financial support especially for the troops to ward off the terror group Al-Shabaab which controls a large swathe of land in Somalia.

The Federal Government of Somalia has approached Uganda to maintain at least 2500 troops to guard the UN compound in Mogadishu which also hosts the Aden Abdulle international airport.

The dispute over the future of AUSSOM support comes as Washington has criticized Somalia's progress in combating the terror group and addressing broader security and governance challenges.

In a July 1 letter, the United States cited concerns over Somalia's performance against al-Shabab and its handling of security and governance issues.

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Meanwhile, free speech scored big this week in Mogadishu after the Banadir regional court of appeal released a Somali journalist jailed for three years allegedly for inciting the public and insulting some government bureaucrats.

Sadia Moalim Ali aka Sadia Bajaaj was set free by the court after serving four months of the sentence imposed by a lower court.

The appellate judges determined that the Banadir Regional Court’s original ruling lacked adequate legal foundation for the charges of public incitement and abuse involving government officials.

For Bajaaj and her legal team, the ruling vindicates their argument that the lower court’s verdict lacked adequate legal foundation.

The appeals court’s decision to quash the sentence and free Bajaaj after 122 days marks a significant reversal has brought into sharp focus how Somali courts handle cases involving speech-related offenses.

Human rights activists will be watching closely to see whether the judgment sets a precedent for similar cases moving forward.

Human rights organisations, opposition figures and civil society groups rallied behind her case, arguing that the conviction raised serious concerns about freedom of expression and judicial fairness in Somalia.

Campaigners highlighted her family circumstances and questioned whether the charges met legal standards, urging the Somali government and judicial authorities to review her detention.

They warned that Bajaaj’s prosecution reflected a broader pattern of restricting dissent and criminalizing online commentary critical of government officials.

Kenyan courts which have been very unforgiving to media houses and jolurnalists brought before them must be looking at Mogadishu appellate court’s ruling with envy or shame depending where you stand on free speech.

And Somalia has a new speaker of the House of the People in the name of Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur Jama. He replaces Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, who was elected president of South West State.

Jama previously served as Somalia's minister of ports and maritime transport, a position he held from March 2025. He has also served as minister of defense and minister of justice and previously worked as a senior adviser in the Office of the Speaker of the House of the People.

Saadiya Yasin Haji Samatar who many expected would go for the position given her seniority resumed her role as the first Deputy Speaker after Jama took oath of office.

Samatar would have been Somalia’s first woman speaker had she taken her chances but she gave the election a wideberth.