UN closes Somalia mission, ending three decades of political engagement

Published On 31 Oct 202631 Oct 2026The United Nations has closed its political mission in Somalia, ending more than three decades of efforts to help the country rebuild after civil war.The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) ceased operations on Saturday after completing a two-year transition requested by the Somali government, the mission said in a statement on X.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Education under fire: Gaza’s children face death on their way to schoollist 2 of 3Can Democrats win the US Senate? 10 key midterm races to watchlist 3 of 3Hundreds from Russian-occupied Oleshky land in Belarus en route to Ukraineend of listIts responsibilities have been gradually transferred to Somali institutions, UN agencies and the UN office supporting African Union (AU) troops under a roadmap agreed between Somalia and the UN.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Somalia’s progress but called for continued international backing amid political, security and humanitarian challenges.Strained relationsThe closure follows years of sometimes strained relations between Somali governments and the UN mission, whose involvement in domestic pol...