Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia, ending nearly 20 years of military involvement in the fight against the al-Shabab insurgency.
Acting army spokesperson Chris Magezi said on Monday the first group of soldiers deployed under a bilateral arrangement had already returned home, with others to follow within days. All Ugandan forces, including those serving with the African Union mission, are to leave by the end of 2027.
A first contingent of 109 Uganda People’s Defence Forces troops reportedly left Mogadishu on Friday. “After 20 years of a lot of blood and sacrifice, we are handing over security to our Somali brothers,” army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba wrote on X, as quoted by the BBC.
Uganda was the first country to deploy under the African Union Mission in Somalia in 2007 and helped drive al-Shabab out of Mogadishu. The BBC reports about 4,500 troops serve in Somalia under the current AU mission, AUSSOM, alongside about 2,000 deployed through bilateral deals.
The pullout follows a visit to Kampala by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who reportedly sought to persuade Uganda to stay. AUSSOM also faces uncertain funding as US and UN support winds down.
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