Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from Somalia, bringing to a close a military deployment that has lasted nearly 20 years. The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) said on Monday, 2 November, that it had started pulling out troops deployed under a bilateral security arrangement with the Somali government, with the first group already back home.

The first 109 soldiers left Mogadishu on 30 October, and the army said the withdrawal of troops under the bilateral arrangement would be completed within days. All Ugandan forces in Somalia, including those serving under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), are to leave gradually by the end of 2027.

Uganda confirmed on Friday that the pullout was under way. Alan Kasujja, executive director of the Uganda Media Centre, said troops had begun leaving Mogadishu and surrounding areas, ending a 20-year mission he called a Pan-African obligation.

Somalia stressed that the troops leaving now were deployed under the bilateral arrangement and were not part of AUSSOM. National Security Adviser Awes Hagi Yusuf said the redeployment should not be misconstrued as a complete withdrawal, adding that Uganda's AUSSOM contingent remains in the country.

Uganda was the first African country to send troops to Somalia, deploying in March 2007 under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to support the transitional government against al-Shabaab. It has remained one of the largest contributors, with 4,500 troops allocated under AUSSOM. The exit comes as the mission faces funding pressure after the United States said in July it would not support the UN Support Office in Somalia beyond 31 December 2026. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has asked Uganda to delay leaving some positions in Lower Shabelle, where Somali forces may struggle to take over.