Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades of military operations against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgency, the country's military chief announced on Thursday, in a move that raises fresh questions about who will hold security in Somalia as foreign missions wind down.

Source: Geeska

"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," General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), said in a post on X. His statement did not specify how many troops are being withdrawn, which positions are affected, or how long the process will take.

The announcement follows reports that Uganda had communicated plans to pull its forces back from several locations in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region, including Barawe, Bulo Marer, Qoryoley and Janaale. It also came days after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe, where, according to reports, Mohamud asked Uganda to delay the withdrawal amid concerns that a reduced foreign presence could create a security vacuum.

The first troops in, in 2007

Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to Somalia, in March 2007, under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). That mission was replaced by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in 2022, which was in turn succeeded in January 2025 by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), each step designed to transfer more responsibility to Somali forces.

2007Year Uganda first deployed to Somalia
3Successive African Union missions served
1 Aug 2027Date Muhoozi earlier set for complete withdrawal

The start of the withdrawal follows months of warnings from Uganda's military leadership about the cost of the deployment. In February, Muhoozi warned that Uganda could pull its forces out unless the funding problems facing the mission were addressed, and in August he said Uganda would withdraw completely by 1 August 2027. The African Union mission has faced growing financial difficulties, and in July the United States informed the African Union that it would oppose renewing United Nations logistical support for AUSSOM beyond the mission's current mandate, which expires on 31 December 2026, the Daily Star reported.

Source: Daily Star (Uganda)

The Ugandan move lands in the same week that the United Nations' political mission in Somalia closes after more than three decades, leaving Somalia's leaders to manage their election dispute and the fight against al-Shabaab with a shrinking international presence. Neither the African Union nor the Somali federal government had publicly detailed how the Ugandan positions will be filled, as of the latest reports.

The withdrawal comes as another long-running international presence in Somalia also comes to an end. Read: UN political mission in Somalia ends on October 31