[1] Succeeding the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), that operated from 2022 to 2024, AUSSOM began on 1 January 2025 and is headed by Mohamed El Amine.

[3] 15 years after its deployment AMISOM shifted to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), with the goal of handing over complete security responsibility over to Somali government forces.

The African Union's Peace and Security Council approved the creation of AUSSOM on 1st August, 2024,[4][5] with plans to start the mission in 2025,[6] after ATMIS’ withdrawal on 31 December, 2024.

[7][8] Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has actively sought to rally support from former ATMIS contributors, encouraging them to participate in AUSSOM.

[11] It is currently unclear if Ethiopia will be allowed to participate in the operation,[12] as Ethiopian troops were excluded from the new AUSSOM initiative due to repeated incidents in which their forces allegedly violated Somalia’s sovereignty.