Uganda Military Chief Suggests Somalia Pullout “Very Soon” in Social Media Post

GOOBJOOG NEWS|KAMPALA: Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has said Uganda intends to “completely withdraw” its troops from Somalia “very soon,” in a statement posted on X that has drawn attention but does not constitute an official government position.

“After 19 years in Somalia. We intend to completely withdraw from that country very soon,” Kainerugaba wrote on X.

Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s son is widely known for making provocative and informal remarks on social media that do not always reflect formal state policy. Reuters has previously profiled him as a senior military figure with a record of inflammatory online commentary.

Uganda has been one of the longest-serving and largest troop contributors to the African Union’s Somalia mission since the first deployment in 2007 under AMISOM, the AU force that later transitioned to ATMIS and currently to AUSSOM.

The post comes amid recurring uncertainty around the future shape and funding of the AU security presence in Somalia, which has relied heavily on Ugandan forces over the years. In 2025, the Associated Press reported that Uganda made up nearly half of the AU troops deployed to Somalia at the time, as regional leaders raised concerns over funding shortfalls and sustainability.

There was no immediate public statement from Uganda’s government confirming a withdrawal timeline following Kainerugaba’s post, and Somalia’s federal authorities also did not immediately respond in the materials reviewed for this story.

Ugandan troops have played a central frontline role in Mogadishu and surrounding areas over the past two decades, sustaining casualties during the mission, including in a 2025 helicopter crash at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport that killed five Ugandan soldiers, AP reported.