New York (HOL) — Ethiopia pledged continued support for Somalia’s peace and security process on Thursday, even as the African Union’s new stabilization mission warned it faces a crippling $180 million funding gap for 2025.

Speaking at the High-Level Pledging Conference for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), held on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hadera Abera said Somalia’s long-term stability rests on strengthening its own security forces.

“We have made substantial gains in degrading al-Shabaab’s capabilities,” Abera said. “In this regard, we pay tribute to our troops, especially those that lost their life in the line of duty.”

He praised Mogadishu’s progress in bolstering the Somali National Army and police, but warned that international partners must urgently step up support. He called for swift implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which lays out a framework for predictable financing of African-led peace operations.

AUSSOM, launched in January to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), is tasked with consolidating security gains while handing greater responsibility to Somali forces. ATMIS itself succeeded the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which began in 2007 and played a pivotal role in counterterrorism operations against al-Shabaab.

The mission’s future, however, is clouded by funding disputes. Donors remain divided over who should shoulder the costs of African-led security operations. Critics warn that the hybrid funding model proposed by the United Nations and the African Union could lead to waste and inefficiency, while supporters argue it is essential to sustain fragile gains in the Horn of Africa.

Somalia, where al-Shabaab still controls large swathes of territory and regularly carries out deadly attacks, remains a test case for whether the international community can craft durable solutions to long-running conflicts on the continent.