Uganda begins withdrawing troops from Somalia after 20 years

Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades of military involvement in the country.

The first contingent of 109 Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) troops reportedly left the capital, Mogadishu, on Friday, following an announcement by Uganda's army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Uganda's acting army spokesperson, Chris Magezi, did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.

Uganda was the first African country to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which was established in 2007 to help protect the country's transitional government from attacks by Islamist militants.

Last week, Gen Muhoozi said Uganda had begun pulling out its troops and would hand over security responsibilities to Somali forces.

"As we promised, we have started withdrawing UPDF from Somalia. After 20 years of a lot of blood and sacrifice, we are handing over security to our Somali brothers," he wrote on X.

The withdrawal is being carried out in phases and is expected to be completed in August 2027.

However, Uganda is not ending its entire military involvement in Somalia. Its troops deployed under a separate bilateral security arrangement will remain in the country.

An estimated 4,500 troops are in Somalia under the Africa Union mission, alongside about 2,000 deployed through bilateral arrangements.

Somalia has been battling a prolonged and deadly insurgency led al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, for more than two decades.

Uganda forces first deployed to the country in 2007 and played a key role in driving al-Shabab out of Mogadishu and other major towns.

They fought alongside the Somali National Army to recapture strategic territory and secure key government installations.

Ugandan troops continued its military involvement under successive Africa Union, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), which began with the aim of gradually transferring security responsibilities to Somalia.

It was replaced in 2025 by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom), which is focused on strengthening Somalia's security institutions and preparing its forces to take full responsibility for the country's security.

Aussom now faces uncertainty over its future funding, amid plans to wind down US and UN support.

A 12-month transition plan is due to begin to in January, giving Somalia and the AU time to seek alternative sources of funding.

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