Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya has called on Cyprus to make the fight against Al Shabaab a priority when it assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in early 2026.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi warned that fading international focus on Somalia could reverse hard-won gains in regional security.
Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Mudavadi added that Kenya and a few other frontline states have been left to shoulder the burden of combating terrorism in Somalia, amid dwindling global attention and support.
“There is growing international fatigue because of other conflicts and a shift in focus. The international community’s support has depreciated significantly, and countries like Kenya have been left to carry the heavy load in this fight,” Mudavadi said.
Kenya currently maintains about 3,000 troops in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
Mudavadi cautioned that any withdrawal by Kenya could trigger a dangerous security vacuum that few, if any, international players are ready to fill.
Mudavadi made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Cyprus Foreign Minister Dr. Constantinos Kombos, where the two nations also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in agriculture and livestock development.
Congratulating Cyprus on its upcoming assumption of the EU Council presidency, Mudavadi urged the country to use its position to bring the Somalia issue back onto the EU’s foreign policy agenda.
“It will be sad that a country that has made progress in combating terrorism, and is on the last mile, might relapse if not assisted. We should not break the pot at the door after carrying water all the way from the stream,” he remarked.
Mudavadi further pointed out that the African Union (AU) is already overburdened with multiple crises across the continent, including in Sudan, South Sudan, the Sahel, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and warned against assuming that the AU can address the Somalia situation alone.
“The AU is stretched thin. Without renewed international commitment, particularly from key partners like the European Union, the gains made in Somalia risk being undone,” he said.
The Council of the European Union, which Cyprus will lead in 2026, is a key decision-making body within the EU responsible for foreign and security policy coordination.
Kenya’s call is seen as part of a broader diplomatic push to revive global attention on terrorism in the Horn of Africa, especially as major powers focus elsewhere on conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific.
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