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.

Uganda's acting army spokesperson Chris Magezi on Monday said the first group of troops deployed to Somalia through a bilateral arrangement had already arrived back home and others would follow in a few days' time.

He said all forces, including those under the African Union (AU) mission, would exit by the end of 2027 in the phased withdrawal.

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

A 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.

Last week, Kainerugaba 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.

On Monday, Magezi said this would mark the end of Uganda's operations in the Horn of Africa country, with Somalia expected to "assume full responsibility for security".

The withdrawal comes after Somalia President Sheikh Mohamud met his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni in Kampala last week.

The meeting was planned to discuss Somalia's security situation, as well as trade and economic ties between the two countries.

The Somali president reportedly sought to persuade Uganda to extend its military presence.

In remarks during the visit, Museveni urged Somali leaders and citizens to unite in the fight against the militant insurgency led by al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda.

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 for more than two decades.

After Ugandan forces were first deployed to the country in 2007, they 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 were involved in successive Africa Union missions, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), which began with the aim of gradually transferring security responsibilities to Somalia.

This 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 AU time to seek alternative sources of funding.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica