A worker puts up a sign for the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Headquarters in Mogadishu. [Courtesy, UNSOM]
It is now official, the United Nations operations in Somalia have started winding down after the United States withdrew its financial support effective December 31, 2026.
Last week, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) issued a tender seeking licensed auctioneers to sell a wide range of UN-owned equipment and vehicles as the December deadline looms ever closer.
UNSOS is seeking expressions of interest from qualified auctioneers to establish a local contract for the commercial sale of UN property in Somalia.
The initial contract is expected to run for three months, with three possible extensions of three-month, subject to performance and continued operational needs.
While the UN auction notice does not state that the listed equipment is being sold because of the planned reduction in US funding, the timing of the tender comes amid broader uncertainty over the future scale and logistical structure of international operations supporting Somalia's security transition.
Among the items the UN wants to dispose of include vehicles, generators, computers and other information technology equipment and office equipment.