Uganda begins pulling troops out of Somalia after two decades

Uganda's army has begun withdrawing its soldiers from Somalia, opening a pullout from a deployment that has run for about two decades and that made the country the first to send troops to the African Union mission in Somalia.

Reuters, the BBC, DW, Channel Africa and Ahram Online all reported the announcement on 2 November 2026. Ahram Online attributed the move to Uganda's army.

The BBC reported that Uganda was the first country to contribute troops to the African Union mission established in 2007 to stabilise Somalia. DW described the deployment as a two-decade effort to battle militants.

The reports did not say how many soldiers would leave, over what period, or which bases they would hand over. They did not say whether the withdrawal had already begun on the ground, or what it would leave in place for the African Union force in Somalia.

Uganda has kept troops in Somalia since the mission's first deployment in 2007, according to the BBC's account of the withdrawal.

No statement from Somalia's government or from the African Union on the pullout appeared in the reports.

Uganda's contingent has been part of a multinational force that has held positions in the country while Somali forces were built up, a task DW characterised as a two-decade effort against militants. The other troop-contributing countries and their plans were not described in the accounts.

Uganda's announcement marks one of the largest changes to the AU presence in Somalia in years, and it comes without publicly stated terms: no timeline, no headcount, and no description of how the mission's positions will be covered after Ugandan soldiers leave.