New Map Reveals the Extraordinary Scale of AUSSOM’s Security Footprint in Somalia

Mogadishu (WDN) — A new map published by the Belqees Center for Studies has laid bare the extraordinary scale of the African Union’s security presence in Somalia, revealing that AUSSOM forces are spread across 56 military bases in five major operational sectors.

According to data presented by the research center, Uganda maintains the largest number of military bases, with 22, followed by Ethiopia with 15, Kenya with eight, Djibouti with six, and Burundi with five.

Taken together, the deployment represents an estimated 11,826 African Union personnel stationed across Somalia, underscoring just how heavily the country’s security architecture continues to depend on foreign forces more than three decades after the collapse of the Somali state.

The figures provide a striking visual reminder of the scale of the challenge facing Somalia: despite years of international military assistance and repeated offensives against Al-Shabaab, thousands of African troops remain deployed across the country to support Somali forces and protect key strategic locations.