Facing the threat of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab and an unprecedented budget crisis, Senegalese diplomat El Hadji Ibrahima Diene is orchestrating the continent’s most critical security transition. Appointed a year ago as head of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the African Union’s new mission in Somalia, the ambassador is leading major military offensives on the ground while engaging in an intense financial standoff with international donors. His goal: restructure a force of over 11,000 soldiers to permanently transfer national security control to Somali authorities by December 2029.
In Mogadishu, Senegalese El Hadji Ibrahima Diene is now treading a fine line. Officially taking office on July 28, 2025, the diplomat was entrusted with one of the most delicate missions in the African security architecture: taking the helm of the brand-new African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), deployed since January 1, 2025. As head of AUSSOM, Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene is conducting intense field work, combining military offensives, financial advocacy, and institutional stabilization.
“In the world, as in other parts of Africa, terrorism is more than a security threat. It hampers governance, disrupts daily life, worsens the humanitarian crisis, and erodes public trust. I would also like to emphasize the importance of international and regional platforms, such as ISIS workshops, to foster a shared understanding, the exchange of best practices, and the alignment of policies and operational responses across different continents.”
El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, Head of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)
In command of a pivotal international force of nearly 11,800 men and women, his roadmap is clear: assist the Somali State towards a gradual takeover of its own security, while maintaining relentless military pressure on the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Faced with budget cuts of nearly 30% imposed by international donors, diplomat El Hadji Ibrahima Diene personally traveled to mobilize troop-contributing countries. On April 27, 2026, he held intense discussions in Nairobi, Kenya, with Burundian Minister of Foreign Affairs Albert Shingiro, to stabilize AUSSOM’s funding and secure the maintenance of their contingent, estimated at more than 3,000 troops on Somali soil.
“In Somalia, the African Union, through AUSSOM and its leadership, works clearly with national, regional, and international partners to weaken Al-Shabaab and armed opposition groups, while supporting peace and security processes led and owned by Somalia.”
El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, Head of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)
His profile thus embodies the profound transformation of African peace operations. After several years of international engagement in Somalia marked by the official launch of AUSSOM on January 1, 2025, the time is no longer simply for maintaining an external military presence. The objective, according to the African Union’s Concept of Operations (CONOPS), is to create the conditions allowing Somali forces to gradually assume responsibility for national security themselves, planning a final and total withdrawal of the international mission by December 2029. Until then, the current mandate plans to scale the core force to around 11,146 soldiers to methodically support the scaling up of the national army
“Military pressure, combined with political processes, community engagement, conciliation, and investments in deradicalization and reintegration, is essential. We will work with my colleagues to see how we can support them.”
El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, Head of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM)
Since taking office on July 28, 2025, the diplomat finds himself in a role that goes far beyond that of an operational lead. Under his leadership, AUSSOM forces, coordinated with the Somali National Army, also launched a vast strategic offensive on March 1, 2026, an operation that liberated two key Al-Shabaab strongholds, the towns of Daarusalaam and Mubara in the Lower Shabelle region, significantly weakening the insurgents’ logistical positions.
