Somalia Clarifies That Uganda’s Withdrawal Covers Bilateral Forces, Not All Troops
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has moved to clarify that Uganda’s withdrawal of troops stationed under a bilateral agreement does not signal the departure of every Ugandan soldier serving in the country.
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National Security Adviser Ambassador Aweys Haji Yusuf Ahmed said the forces now leaving Somalia are primarily those deployed through a separate security arrangement between the Somali and Ugandan governments.
Ugandan personnel assigned to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), he said, remain deployed and will continue operating alongside other mission contingents and the Somali National Army.
“The withdrawal of troops deployed under bilateral agreements should not be interpreted as the departure of all Ugandan forces from Somalia,” Aweys said.
He was responding to an announcement from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), which said it had begun withdrawing soldiers deployed under bilateral arrangements. The first contingent has already returned to Uganda.
In a statement dated Nov. 2, the UPDF said the withdrawal of those troops would be completed within days. It also said all Ugandan forces in Somalia, including those serving with AUSSOM, are expected to leave by the end of 2027.
Aweys issued the clarification after chairing a tripartite meeting attended by representatives of Somalia’s federal government, AUSSOM and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
The meeting reaffirmed the parties’ commitment to strengthening their coordination framework, with a focus on cooperation, strategic planning and logistical support for AUSSOM and the Somali National Army.
Participants also underscored the importance of sustained, predictable and sufficient international backing to speed Somalia’s security transition, preserve gains made in ongoing military operations and improve the operational capacity of the country’s security forces.
The troop announcement comes as Somalia continues to depend on international assistance to maintain operations against al-Shabab militants and develop its national security institutions.
AXADLETM
