Uganda denies reports circulating as its troops withdraw from Somalia

Kampala (Caasimada Online) – The government of Uganda on Friday denied reports circulated on social media claiming that several of its soldiers were killed in an attack in Somalia while they were leaving Lower Shabelle.

Dennis Katungi, the deputy executive director of the Uganda Media Centre, stated at a press conference held in Kampala that these reports are false and are being spread by the Al-Shabaab militia.

“The Uganda People’s Defence Forces have denied the online reports claiming that their troops were attacked in Somalia and that soldiers were killed,” said Katungi.

The reports denied by Uganda claimed that Al-Shabaab fighters ambushed a convoy accompanying Ugandan troops leaving the Lower Shabelle region.

According to those reports, the attack resulted in the deaths of 10 to 11 soldiers from the Ugandan forces participating in the African Union Mission in Support of and Stabilization of Somalia (AUSSOM).

Uganda did not disclose any casualties and described the claims of the attack as a fabricated story spread by Al-Shabaab online.

Withdrawal of Ugandan troops

The denial from Kampala comes at a time when military movements related to Uganda's plan to withdraw its troops from Somalia are ongoing, raising concerns about the security of the areas being vacated.

Ugandan troops in Somalia operate under two frameworks. Some are deployed under a bilateral agreement between Kampala and Mogadishu, while others are part of the AUSSOM mission.

The urgent withdrawal of Uganda that began earlier this month primarily concerns the troops under the agreement of the two governments. The Ugandan forces have stated that the first group has returned to Uganda, while the withdrawal of troops in AUSSOM will be carried out gradually until the end of 2027.

Uganda's schedule precedes the overall plan of AUSSOM, which stipulates that the entire operation will ultimately exit Somalia by December 2029, with the timing of the withdrawal linked to the security situation in the country.

Uganda has approximately 4,500 soldiers in AUSSOM, making it the country contributing the most troops to the operation. Its forces have long operated in Banaadir and Lower Shabelle, supporting Somali forces while also securing strategic locations and roads.

The Reuters news agency reported earlier this month that a letter sent by AUSSOM to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia warned that the withdrawal of Ugandan troops could make parts of Lower Shabelle vulnerable to Al-Shabaab attacks.

Uganda first deployed its troops to Somalia in March 2007, becoming the first African country to contribute forces to the African Union mission AMISOM.

Since then, Ugandan troops have played a significant role in the battles to oust Al-Shabaab from Mogadishu and other areas, while also protecting key facilities. The AMISOM operation later transformed into ATMIS, before AUSSOM began its mission in January 2025.

Uganda has stated that when the withdrawal is complete, it will conclude nearly twenty years of peacekeeping and stabilization operations in Somalia, with full responsibility for security being transferred to the Somali forces.