Uganda starts withdrawing troops from Somalia

What the report says

Uganda has started withdrawing troops from Somalia after nearly two decades of military deployment, according to BBC Africa. The first group, reported to be 109 soldiers from the Uganda People's Defence Forces, left Mogadishu on Friday after an announcement by Uganda's army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Uganda was the first country to send troops to Somalia under the African Union mission launched in 2007 to support the country’s transitional government against Islamist militants. The BBC reports that Ugandan forces played a major role in helping push al-Shabab out of Mogadishu and other key towns, while also working with Somali forces to secure government facilities and recapture strategic areas.

The withdrawal is being carried out in stages and is expected to finish in August 2027. BBC Africa says Uganda is not ending all military activity in Somalia: troops deployed under a separate bilateral security arrangement will remain. That distinction matters because the overall foreign security presence in Somalia is still significant, with both African Union and bilateral deployments supporting Somali forces.

The report also notes that the transition comes as Somalia continues to face a long-running insurgency by al-Shabab, and as the latest African Union mission, AUSSOM, faces funding uncertainty. BBC Africa said the mission’s future is complicated by plans to reduce US and UN support and by a transition plan due to begin in January.