The United States has declared it will prevent the United Nations from funding the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), a move that could dismantle the peacekeeping force. In a diplomatic note to the African Union obtained by Reuters, the U.S. vowed to block any spending of UN funds on the mission, which had a budget of $190 million last year but now faces a severe funding shortfall. The U.S. is a major contributor to the U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), whose total budget is projected to exceed $500 million this year.