Uganda Announces Complete Military Withdrawal from Somalia by August 2027
Uganda will withdraw all of its troops from Somalia by August 1, 2027, according to an announcement made on Friday by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country's Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni. The statement, reported by Somali Guardian and Tuko News, ends nearly twenty years of continuous Ugandan military presence in the Horn of Africa nation.
"We are withdrawing completely from Somalia by the 1st of August 2027," Kainerugaba said. "They will not be UPDF in Somalia after that."
Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), sending soldiers in March 2007. Since then, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) has maintained a significant footprint through two arrangements: around 4,500 troops under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which launched on January 1, 2025, and roughly 2,000 additional soldiers under a bilateral security agreement signed with the Somali government in late 2024. The planned exit would end both deployments.
A Mission Under Financial Strain
The announcement comes as the African Union mission in Somalia faces mounting financial pressures. The United States has announced it will end its support for UN funding of the mission's logistics, support that has been described as the backbone of the operation since its inception. The UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), which has managed logistics including transport, fuel, medical evacuation, and communications, is preparing to shut down entirely, auctioning off its equipment and laying off staff, according to a report by Somali Guardian.
AUSSOM's troop numbers have already declined sharply, from over 22,000 to about 12,000 in 2025, as reported by Tuko News. The mission's current mandate runs until December 31, 2026, and an African Union communiqué issued on July 31, 2026, outlined a phased exit plan spanning 18 to 24 months. AUSSOM is authorized by the United Nations Security Council to field up to 11,826 personnel, including 680 police officers. Other troop-contributing countries include Ethiopia with 2,500 soldiers, Djibouti with 1,520, Kenya with 1,410, and Egypt with 1,091, according to Tuko News.
Running the mission's logistics costs roughly USD 500 million annually, approximately three times AUSSOM's own operational budget. The European Union approved an additional 75 million euros for AUSSOM on April 21, 2026, from the European Peace Facility for troop allowances and non-lethal equipment. Since 2007, the EU has contributed nearly 8 billion euros to AU-led Somalia missions, as reported by Tuko News.
Political Pressure Behind the Public Deadline
Somali Guardian reported that, according to a report by Africa Intelligence, President Museveni personally warned Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that Uganda would withdraw its forces unless he struck a political settlement with his opposition within one year. The warning was reportedly tied to Uganda's frustration with domestic political infighting in Somalia, which Museveni argued should be directed toward the security transition and the fight against al-Shabaab.
A Costly Legacy
The human cost of Uganda's long deployment has been significant. On May 26, 2023, an al-Shabaab assault on the Bulo Marer base killed 54 Ugandan soldiers, a toll confirmed publicly by President Yoweri Museveni on June 4, 2023, according to Tuko News.
Regional Context
Kenya, another major troop contributor, first deployed forces to Somalia in late 2011 under former President Mwai Kibaki through Operation Linda Nchi. That operation helped recapture territory, including Kismayo, Afmadow, and Ras Kamboni, from al-Shabaab before Kenyan forces were absorbed into AMISOM, as reported by Tuko News.
AUSSOM aims to hand full security responsibility to Somali forces by 2029, according to Tuko News. With Uganda's exit date set for August 1, 2027, questions about the mission's capacity and the timeline for Somali-led security are likely to intensify.