Uganda said on Monday, 2 November 2026, that it had begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia as part of a phased drawdown that will end an almost two-decade deployment helping Mogadishu fight the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgency, Reuters reported.
Uganda has about 4,500 troops deployed in Somalia under the African Union-mandated AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), according to state media cited by Reuters, though it is unclear how many additional forces are deployed under a separate bilateral arrangement.
The first troops to leave are those deployed under the bilateral arrangement, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson Chris Magezi said in a statement. Magezi said the first cohort had already returned home, adding: “UPDF has embarked on the drawdown of troops deployed in Somalia under bilateral arrangements with (Somalia’s) Federal Government, effective immediately.”
Uganda will gradually withdraw all its forces from Somalia, including those serving under AUSSOM, by the end of 2027, Magezi said.
The drawdown has raised concern about security in parts of the country. In an 31 October letter from AUSSOM to the UN Support Office in Somalia, verified by two diplomatic sources, the mission warned the withdrawal could leave parts of the Lower Shabelle region vulnerable to al Shabaab attacks. Somali state minister for foreign affairs Ali Omar told Reuters: “Things are not dire now, but it could create problems if their troops suddenly pull out.”
Al Shabaab has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s government for about two decades, and continues to carry out bombings and gun attacks against military and civilian targets.
Source: Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/uganda-says-it-has-started-withdrawing-troops-somalia-2026-11-02/
