The government of Somalia formally requested the cessation of a United Nations political mission, as stated in a letter penned by the foreign minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and addressed to the Security Council.
"I have the honor to formally request the termination of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), following a thorough consideration of our strategic priorities. Going forward, Somali Government will no longer request mandate renewal of Resolution 2705 (2023)," the letter, dated May 5, read.
The minister also thanked the UN for its "dedication and hard work" that "has played a crucial role in promoting peace, stability, and development in the country."
Despite the request to terminate the mission, cooperation between the country and the international organization continues.
"We remain committed to collaboration and partnership with the United Nations for the long-term sustainable development priorities of Somalia and beyond," Fiqi concluded.
Three anonymous UN officials informed Western media that the request to end the mission of the 360-member UNSOM came as a surprise to the mission.
The three United Nations officials also verified the authenticity of the letter, according to the Western media.
It is important to distinguish UNSOM from the UN-authorized AU mission in the country — AMISOM. The latter is now consisting of a minimum of 10,000 soldiers, which is scheduled to depart and transfer control to the Somali state by the end of this year.
The radical Islamist group has close ties to the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda* and has been waging an armed insurgency against the central government of Somalia since the mid-2000s.
* Terrorists groups banned in Russia and many other countries.