The UK Government has announced further support to the Somali Security Forces (SSF) fighting Al-Shabaab through an additional contribution of £2.3 million to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) Trust Fund.
The new funding was announced during a meeting between the newly re-appointed Somali Minister of Defence H.E Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur and the UK's Ambassador to Somalia, Kate Foster. The aim is to enable further provision of critical, non-lethal logistical support, including food, medical evacuation and other supplies.
British Ambassador to Somalia, Kate Foster said:
The UK’s £2.3 million contribution to the UNSOS Trust Fund will be crucial in maintaining SSF capabilities to over 10,000 Somali troops in the fight against Al-Shabaab
The new funding builds on longstanding UK support to the Somali Security Forces and the UNSOS Trust Fund. In 2021/2022, the UK provided £4.9 million, which supplied Somali soldiers and police officers with a year’s worth of support.