Africa·Uganda / Somalia
Uganda starts pulling troops out of Somalia after nearly 20 years fighting al-Shabab
MOGADISHU —
Depth
Dig five layers into this story — from what happened to the full picture.
L1What happened
Army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba wrote on X: "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."
L2Who’s affected
Somalis living with al-Shabab's insurgency, Somali forces taking over security, and Ugandan troops. The BBC says an estimated 4,500 troops are in Somalia under the AU mission, alongside about 2,000 under bilateral arrangements.
L3Why it’s quiet
Analysis · OVERLOOKED A phased, low-key handover in East Africa does not compete with U.S. election week, and Uganda's army spokesperson did not respond to the BBC.
L4Deeper impact
AUSSOM faces uncertainty over future funding amid plans to wind down U.S. and UN support. A 12-month transition plan is due to start in January to give Somalia and the AU time to find other funding.
L5Full context
Uganda was the first African country to deploy under AMISOM in 2007 and helped drive al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, out of Mogadishu and other major towns. The mission became ATMIS, then AUSSOM in 2025, focused on preparing Somali forces to take full responsibility.
You’ve reached the bottom. Read the original reporting below.
Original reporting
This is an OVERLOOKED summary of the reporting above. Facts and figures come from the linked sources. Everything here is a fact unless it is labelled otherwise. Support this work.
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