Uganda begins withdrawal from Somalia after 19 years as African Union takes over bases near Mogadishu

Uganda said on October 30 that it had begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia, with a full exit planned for August 2027, Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said, Malay Mail reported. In 2007 Uganda was the first country to deploy troops under the African Union mission.

According to an African Union mission letter cited by Morning Star, peacekeepers will take over four bases near Mogadishu from Ugandan units during this month's rotations, to prevent al-Shabaab from exploiting a security gap.

Money as the deciding factor

Financial pressure is accelerating the withdrawal. According to Malay Mail, the US said in a diplomatic note on July 1 that it would oppose renewal of the AUSSOM mandate at the UN Security Council if it included UN logistical support. The UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), with an annual budget of about $500 million that provides food, water, fuel, medical evacuation and transport, has cut funding by 25 percent.