Uganda begins withdrawing troops from Somalia after nearly 20 years of mission — Deutsche Welle

Uganda has begun gradually withdrawing its troops from Somalia, where its military personnel had supported government forces in the fight against the al-Shabaab group for nearly two decades. The first contingent under the withdrawal operation has already returned to Uganda, Deutsche Welle reports.

Withdrawal by the end of 2027

In a statement, the Ugandan military said the country would gradually withdraw all its forces from Somalia by the end of 2027. This applies both to troops serving in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and to the contingent deployed under bilateral agreements.

About 4,500 Ugandan troops are in Somalia as part of AUSSOM, while another approximately 2,000 service members are stationed there on a bilateral basis. According to local media, 109 Ugandan soldiers left Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Friday.

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Pressure on the African Union mission

Uganda became the first country to send troops to Somalia in 2007 as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission. The Ugandan army said the completion of the operation would enable the Somali Armed Forces to assume full responsibility for security in the country.

The future of the AUSSOM mission has been called into question after the United States decided to stop funding the UN logistics office on which the military coalition depends. Washington, the coalition's largest donor, had expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in the fight against al-Shabaab. In recent years, the group has regained control of parts of central and southern Somalia.

Uganda's announcement also came after the end of the UN political mission in Somalia, which had operated in the country for more than three decades. Its functions were transferred to the Somali government and various UN structures.