Uganda begins pulling troops out of Somalia after nearly 20 years

Uganda has started withdrawing its troops from Somalia, with a first group of 109 soldiers leaving Mogadishu, army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced. Uganda was the first country to deploy under the African Union mission in 2007 and helped drive al-Shabab out of Mogadishu. The phased pullout should finish by August 2027; bilateral troops will stay.