Uganda’s Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka confirmed on August 15, 2026, that Ugandan troops will remain in Somalia under a bilateral agreement, despite uncertainty over the African Union’s peacekeeping mission, AUSSOM, due to U.S. funding cuts to the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS).
Uganda’s decision to maintain its military presence in Somalia, despite the African Union’s (AU) mission facing uncertainty, underscores a commitment to regional stability. The country has approximately 4,500 troops deployed under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and an additional 2,000 under a bilateral agreement signed with Mogadishu at the end of 2024. This move comes as Washington announced it would end payments to the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) by the year’s end, jeopardizing AUSSOM’s operations.
Uganda’s Commitment to Somalia
Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka told AFP that Uganda is going to remain in Somalia,
declining to give further details but indicating its presence would be outside AUSSOM. The arrangement that we are going to have on how we remain in Somalia is going to evolve, but… we already have a force there on a bilateral arrangement with Somalia,
he said. This statement clarifies that Uganda’s presence will shift outside the AUSSOM framework, though the exact terms of the new agreement remain unspecified.
The bilateral deal, signed at the end of 2024, allows Uganda to deploy troops from 2025, though the number remains unspecified. Kiwanuka also noted that other regional powers, including Kenya, Ethiopia, and Egypt, intend to keep troops in Somalia in 2027.
Funding Crises and Regional Responses
The AUSSOM mission, which has been supporting Somalia’s army, faces challenges after the U.S. announced it would end payments to UNSOS by the year’s end. This decision has sparked concerns about the mission’s ability to sustain operations, with officials warning of an orderly, coordinated
exit to hand over to Somali forces. The stability of Somalia, the stability of Africa, affects us, so we must find the resources,
Kiwanuka said, highlighting the interconnectedness of regional security.
Despite the funding shortfall, AUSSOM member states—including Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda—and Somalia have stressed the need for an orderly, coordinated
exit of the AU mission in order to hand over to Somali forces. Regional leaders discussed the fallout over funding shortfalls at the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) meeting in Kampala.
Somalia’s Political Struggles and Uncertain Future
The decision to keep Ugandan troops in Somalia occurs amid a political crisis in Mogadishu. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to change the constitution in March ahead of planned elections was decried as a power grab by his opponents. This internal instability complicates efforts to strengthen Somalia’s security apparatus.
Somalia has battled Al-Shabaab for around two decades, and the group launched an offensive last year that took back much of the land taken by federal forces in 2022 and 2023. While Uganda’s bilateral troops are not part of AUSSOM, their role in supporting Somali forces is part of the existing bilateral arrangement.
The situation highlights the balance between regional solidarity and fiscal reality. As the U.S. withdrawal looms, Uganda’s commitment to Somalia may set a precedent for other nations. Yet, the future of Somalia’s security remains uncertain, with regional actors navigating a complex web of diplomacy, military strategy, and political instability.
