Uganda begins withdrawing troops from Somalia after 20 years

Uganda announced on Monday that it has commenced the withdrawal of its troops from Somalia, a country where it has been actively involved in counterinsurgency operations for nearly two decades. The first batch of Ugandan soldiers, amounting to 109 troops, has already returned to Uganda, according to a statement from the Ugandan military.

The phased withdrawal operation is scheduled to see all Ugandan forces, including those deployed under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), leave Somalia by the end of 2027, the military's statement further elaborated.

Uganda was the pioneering nation to dispatch troops to Somalia, joining an African Union peacekeeping force established in 2007 to provide support to the Somali government in its ongoing battle against the Al-Shabab Islamist militant group. Presently, around 4,500 Ugandan troops are stationed in Somalia as part of AUSSOM, along with approximately 2,000 troops under bilateral agreements.

The Ugandan army emphasized that its withdrawal signifies the conclusion of Uganda's protracted 20-year peace and stabilization initiatives in Somalia, allowing the Somali Armed Forces to take sole responsibility for maintaining security within the country. The initial contingent's departure from Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Friday was reported by local media outlets.

The future of the African Union mission, AUSSOM, has been cast into uncertainty by the recent decision by the United States to discontinue funding for a UN logistics office on which the military coalition heavily relies. Washington, the primary donor to the coalition, has expressed dissatisfaction regarding the lack of progress in the fight against Al-Shabab, which continues to dominate large portions of central Somalia.

The United States has also criticized the Somali government for its inability to unify the nation and enact political reforms.

The Ugandan withdrawal announcement on Monday coincided with the UN's closure of its political mission in Somalia on Saturday. This marks the end of three decades of peacebuilding efforts in the East African nation, with responsibility being transferred to the Somali government and various UN agencies. Somalia is set to conduct elections in May of the following year, but persistent insecurity and factional disputes are jeopardizing the electoral process.

For over two decades, Somalia has been engulfed in a deadly insurgency spearheaded by the Al-Shabab group. Although Ugandan forces have played a pivotal role in expelling the militants from the capital and several major cities, the group has since reasserted control over significant areas in the country's central and southern regions.