Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with partners on the UN Security Council about the extension of the mandate for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) beyond 31 December.

The UK regularly engages international partners on the security situation in Somalia, including the threat from Al Shabaab, the role of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somalia's ongoing needs for international support as it transitions to take greater control of its own security. The UN Security Council (UNSC) mandate for AMISOM runs until 31 December 2021. A UNSC briefing on Somalia took place on 17 November, during which the UK reiterated the necessity for progress on discussions on a successor mission to AMISOM to support the transition to Somali-led security in accordance with the Somalia Transition Plan. We continue to work with international partners, including those on the Council, on our collective interests in supporting long-term security and stability in Somalia and how a future mission can meet shared objectives.