Uganda begins withdrawing troops from Somalia after two decades of fighting
A first contingent of 109 soldiers left Mogadishu on Friday as part of a phased exit expected to conclude in August 2027.
Uganda has started pulling its military personnel out of Somalia following nearly 20 years of involvement in the country, according to BBC News. A group of 109 Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) troops departed from the capital, Mogadishu, on Friday.
Army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced the withdrawal, stating that security responsibilities would be transferred to Somali forces. Writing on X, Kainerugaba said the withdrawal had begun as promised after 20 years of sacrifice.
Uganda was the first African nation to send troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which started in 2007 to protect the transitional government from Islamist militants. The UPDF has since served under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis) and the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (Aussom).
The withdrawal will occur in stages and is scheduled to finish by August 2027. However, Ugandan troops stationed under a separate bilateral security arrangement will stay in the country.
Currently, approximately 4,500 troops serve in Somalia under the African Union mission, while about 2,000 are there through bilateral agreements. Somalia has faced a long insurgency from the al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab for more than 20 years.
The Aussom mission, which aims to strengthen Somali security institutions, faces questions regarding future funding as US and UN support is planned to wind down. A 12-month transition plan is set to start in January to allow the African Union and Somalia to find new funding sources.