The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has officially initiated the immediate drawdown and repatriation of its troops deployed in Somalia under bilateral security agreements with the Federal Government of Somalia.
In an official press statement issued on Monday, November 2, 2026, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information (DDPI), Col. Chris Magezi, confirmed that the withdrawal process is underway, with the first contingent of personnel already back on Ugandan soil.
The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs noted that the ongoing extraction of all bilaterally deployed personnel will be concluded in the coming days.
Looking toward the wider regional exit strategy, the UPDF announced that it will implement a structured, gradual drawdown of all remaining military forces in Somalia, including contingents serving under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), concluding by the end of 2027.
The scheduled 2027 withdrawal will mark the end of Uganda’s historic 20-year peace support and stabilization mission in Somalia, a landmark deployment that began in March 2007, paving the way for the Somali National Armed Forces to take over full sovereign responsibility for national defense and territorial security.
