UPDF BEGINS SOMALIA WITHDRAWAL AS UGANDA SETS 2027 EXIT DEADLINE

UPDF soldiers

 NILE POST

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has begun withdrawing troops deployed in Somalia under bilateral security arrangements, marking the start of a phased military exit after nearly two decades of involvement in the Horn of Africa country.

In a statement issued on Monday, November 2, Col Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, said the withdrawal had taken immediate effect, with the first group of soldiers already returning to Uganda.

“The first cohort of troops under the phased withdrawal operation have already arrived back in Uganda,” Magezi said.

He added that the withdrawal of troops serving under bilateral arrangements with the Federal Government of Somalia would be completed within the next few days.

The army also announced plans to withdraw all Ugandan forces in Somalia, including those serving under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), by the end of 2027.

“The UPDF will gradually withdraw all its forces in Somalia, including those currently deployed under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) by the close of 2027,” Magezi said.

He said the move would mark the end of Uganda’s 20-year peace and stabilisation operations in Somalia, allowing the Somali Armed Forces to assume full responsibility for the country’s security.

The announcement comes amid growing debate over the continued presence of foreign troops in Somalia, particularly following remarks by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud calling for African Union peacekeepers to leave.

On August 17, Nile Post reported that Mohamud had declared Somalia ready to take full responsibility for its security after nearly two decades of relying on African troops to fight Al-Shabaab militants.

“We have reached a point where we can now take full charge of our security. Let’s give African peacekeepers a bouquet of flowers and send them home,” Mohamud said while speaking in Galmudug.

His remarks came as Somalia’s security arrangements increasingly shifted towards bilateral partnerships with other foreign powers, particularly Turkey and the United States.

Turkey has significantly expanded its military presence in Somalia, where it operates Camp TURKSOM, a major military training facility established in Mogadishu in 2017.

In April 2026, Turkey confirmed the deployment of F-16 fighter jets to Somalia, alongside attack and transport helicopters.

Ankara has also maintained a naval presence and expanded maritime security cooperation with Mogadishu. janes.com +1

In July, the Turkish parliament approved a further two-year extension of its military deployment in Somalia, allowing Turkish forces to remain in the country until July 2028 to support counterterrorism operations, military training and maritime security.

Uganda has been among the principal contributors to the African military intervention in Somalia since 2007, when it became the first country to deploy troops under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

AMISOM was subsequently replaced by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in 2022, before the current AUSSOM mission took over in January 2025.

Ugandan troops have played a significant role in operations against Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for years.

The planned withdrawal therefore represents a major transition for both the UPDF and Somalia’s security architecture, although the country will continue receiving military assistance from other international partners.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis