Uganda begins pulling troops out of Somalia after nearly 20 years
Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia after nearly two decades of fighting the al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabaab. The first 109 soldiers flew out of Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport on Friday, 30 October, on a Kenya-registered aircraft chartered by Uganda.
The move was announced a day earlier by Uganda’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said on X that Uganda was handing security over 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.
Uganda was the first country to send troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2007, and its forces later served under the follow-on missions ATMIS and AUSSOM. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud travelled to Uganda earlier in the week and asked President Yoweri Museveni to delay the withdrawal, but Museveni refused, according to reports. Ugandan forces are based mainly in the Lower Shabelle region, south of Mogadishu, including the towns of Barawe, Bulo Marer, Qoryooley and Janaale.
Why it matters
Lower Shabelle sits on the road to Mogadishu, so who holds its towns matters for the safety of the capital. Al-Shabaab still launches attacks on government forces, military bases and civilians, despite years of offensives by Somali and allied troops. The withdrawal will test whether Somali forces can hold ground on their own, and it comes as funding for the African Union mission faces growing strain.
What happens next
The handover of forward operating bases to the Somali army was reported to be continuing until 4 November, with more flights expected in the coming days. Kainerugaba had earlier said Uganda aimed to pull all of its troops out of Somalia by 1 August 2027, but no full timetable has been given for the current phase.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.somaliguardian.com/news/somalia-news/uganda-begins-troop-pullout-from-somalia/ (Somali Guardian, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.geeska.com/en/uganda-begins-withdrawing-troops-somalia-after-nearly-two-decades (Geeska, 30 October 2026)
- https://addisstandard.com/brief/n-60764/ (Addis Standard, 30 October 2026)
- https://edge.ug/updf-starts-withdrawing-from-somalia/ (Edge Uganda, 29 October 2026)
