KAMPALA, Aug 29 (Horndiplomat) — Uganda will withdraw all its troops from Somalia by August 1, 2027, the country’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said, potentially ending two decades of Ugandan military involvement in the Horn of Africa country.
“We are withdrawing completely from Somalia by the 1st of August 2027,” Kainerugaba said in a post on X late on Friday. “There will not be UPDF in Somalia after that.”
Kainerugaba, the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, is chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, or UPDF. He did not provide further details about the planned withdrawal or say whether the decision had been formally approved by the Ugandan government.
There was no immediate statement from President Museveni’s office, Somalia’s federal government or the African Union confirming the withdrawal timetable.
Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia in 2007 and has remained one of the largest contributors to successive AU operations supporting Somali forces in their campaign against the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab.
Ugandan forces currently serve under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, which replaced the previous transition mission in January 2025. The mission’s mandate has been extended by the United Nations Security Council until the end of 2026. United Nations
Kainerugaba has previously raised the prospect of withdrawing Ugandan troops, citing concerns over financing for the mission. Uganda’s information minister said in February that Kampala’s troop commitments had not changed and described the army chief’s earlier remarks as comments that did not reflect an official state decision.
The latest statement is significant because it sets a specific deadline for the first time. A full Ugandan withdrawal could create a major security gap in southern Somalia, where UPDF contingents have operated in areas threatened by al-Shabaab and supported Somalia government forces.
The African Union has repeatedly warned that AUSSOM faces serious funding challenges and has called for predictable and sustainable international financing. At a summit of troop-contributing countries held in Kampala in July, regional leaders reaffirmed their support for stabilisation efforts in Somalia. African Union
Uganda is among the countries contributing personnel to AUSSOM alongside Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, while Egypt has prepared to deploy forces under the mission.
Reporting by Mohamed Duale; Editing by Horndiplomat Desk
