Uganda starts bringing its troops home from Somalia after almost 20 years
The first soldiers have returned, and all are due back by the end of 2027 as Somalia prepares for elections next May.
Kampala — Uganda, the first country to send troops to Somalia as part of the African Union force set up in 2007, has begun bringing them home. Its military said on Monday that the first group had arrived back in Uganda, and that all its forces will have left by the end of 2027.
About 4,500 Ugandan soldiers serve under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, with about 2,000 more under bilateral agreements. Local media reported that an initial contingent of 109 left Mogadishu on Friday. The army said the withdrawal marks the end of its 20-year peace support operation.
Ugandan forces helped drive Al-Shabab from the capital and several major towns, though the group has regained ground in recent years.
The move comes at a turning point. The UN's transitional mission in Somalia closed on Saturday, and the African Union mission's future is in doubt after the US decided to stop funding a UN logistics office it relies on. Somalia is due to hold elections in May 2027.
Source: DW via allAfrica, November 2026.
