Uganda begins withdrawing troops from Somalia after two decades of service

Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades of military involvement in the country, with the first contingent of 109 soldiers leaving the capital, Mogadishu, on Friday. The withdrawal follows an announcement by Uganda's army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said last week that the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) had started pulling out 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. Uganda's acting army spokesperson, Chris Magezi, did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. The departure marks the beginning of the end for a deployment that started in 2007, when Uganda became the first African country to send troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom). That mission was established to help protect the country's transitional government from attacks by Islamist militants. The withdrawal is being carried out in phases and is expected to be completed in August 2027. An estimated 4,500 Ugandan troops are currently in Somalia under the African Union mission, alongside about 2,000 deployed through bilateral arrangements, and those under the separate bilateral agreement will remain in the country. Ugandan forces played a central role in the fight against al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has waged a deadly insurgency in Somalia for more than two decades. Ugandan troops helped drive al-Shabab out of Mogadishu and other major towns, and fought alongside the Somali National Army to recapture strategic territory and secure key government installations. Uganda's involvement continued through successive African Union missions, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), which aimed to gradually transfer security responsibilities to Somalia. That mission 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 in January, giving Somalia and the African Union time to seek alternative sources of funding.