Uganda starts withdrawing troops from Somalia
The country was the first to contribute troops to the AU mission established to stabilise Somalia in 2007.
Uganda begins pulling troops out of Somalia
Uganda first sent its troops to Somalia in 2007
Uganda has started withdrawing its troops from Somalia after almost 20 years of military involvement in the country.
The first group of 109 Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) troops reportedly departed the capital, Mogadishu, on Friday, after an announcement from Uganda's army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Uganda's acting army spokesperson, Chris Magezi, did not reply to the BBC's request for comment.
Uganda was the first African nation to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which was set up in 2007 to help shield the country's transitional government from attacks by Islamist militants.
Last week, Gen Muhoozi said Uganda had started withdrawing its troops and would transfer security duties 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.
The withdrawal is taking place in stages and is expected to be finished in August 2027.
However, Uganda is not ending all of its military presence in Somalia. Its troops deployed under a separate bilateral security arrangement will stay in the country.
An estimated 4,500 troops are in Somalia under the African Union mission, alongside about 2,000 deployed through bilateral arrangements.
Somalia has been fighting a long and deadly insurgency led by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, for more than two decades.
Ugandan forces first deployed to the country in 2007 and played a major role in pushing al-Shabab out of Mogadishu and other major towns.
They fought alongside the Somali National Army to retake strategic territory and secure key government installations.
Ugandan troops continued their military involvement under successive African Union missions, including the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis), which began with the aim of gradually transferring security responsibilities to Somalia.
It 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 look for alternative funding sources.