African Union Mission to Somalia

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2022)

African Union Mission in Somalia
Map of Somalia
Dates of operation	March 2007 – 31 March 2022 (15 years, 25 days)
Headquarters	Mogadishu
Active regions	Central and southern Somalia
Size	20,626 (2019)[1]
Allies	TFG (2007–12) Ethiopia (2007–14) FGS (2012–22) Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (2007–18) Raskamboni movement
Opponents	ICU (2007–09) al-Shabaab (2007–22) ARS (2007–09) Ras Kamboni Brigades (2007–10) Hizbul Islam (2009–14)
Battles and wars	Somali Civil War Ethiopian invasion and occupation (2006–2009) Somali civil war (2009–present)
Website	amisom-au.org
Preceded by IGASOM Succeeded by ATMIS

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during a large scale invasion in late 2006. The missions primary objective was to maintain the regime change between the ICU and the newly installed Transitional Federal Government, implement a national security plan and train the TFG security forces.^[2] As part of its duties, AMISOM later supported the Federal Government of Somalia in its war against Al-Shabaab.^[3] AMISOM was the most deadly peacekeeping operation in the post-war era.^[4]

AMISOM was created by the African Union's Peace and Security Council on 19 January 2007 with an initial six-month mandate.^[5] On 21 February 2007 the United Nations Security Council approved the mission's mandate.^[6] Subsequent six-monthly renewals of AMISOM's mandate by the African Union Peace and Security Council have also been authorized by the United Nations Security Council.^[7][8]

In March 2007, the first AMISOM troops deployed to Somalia, landing in Mogadishu as fighting was raging between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian/TFG forces.^[9] After four years of intense urban fighting against Al-Shabaab in Mogadishu, during the Battle of Mogadishu (2010–2011) the Uganda Army and Burundian Army forced the militants to withdraw from the capital. In 2014, the Ethiopia was integrated into AMISOM.^[10] In the succeeding years 2012-2015 a number of towns in the hinterland were recaptured, though most of the rural clans remained under Al-Shabaab rule.

The duration of AMISOM's mandate had been extended in each period that it has been up for review, until it was replaced on April 1, 2022, by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. On 21 December 2021, the United Nations Security Council reauthorized AMISOM in Somalia for three months. The new mandate ran until 31 March 2022, ahead of a phased handover of responsibilities to Somalia's security forces in early 2023.^[11] AMISOM's mandate ended on 31 March 2022, and was replaced by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.^[12]