Uganda to withdraw peacekeepers from Somalia by December next year

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – Uganda announced on Wednesday that its peacekeeping troops in Somalia will leave by December of next year.

Foreign Minister Abubaker Jeje Odongo made the announcement at a meeting of officials from countries contributing troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which has been taking place in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, since Monday.

Uganda is committed to withdrawing its troops from Somalia by Dec. 2024, Odongo said on the third day of the four-day meeting of foreign delegates to review and evaluate the mission’s performance in Somalia.

The minister vowed that Uganda will continue to support Somalia in her quest for peace, security, and stability, and commended the Somali federal government for mobilizing forces to join the fight against al-Shabaab.

“Uganda was the first country to deploy a contingent in Somalia in 2007 and to contribute to restoring peace in the country. The Somali transition plan envisages the handover of security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces by December 2024,” he added.

Uganda has trained a good number of Somali nationals who joined their army last month, he said, adding that 2,900 Somali National Army trainees had completed their military training in Uganda, while another batch of 3,000 trainees has begun their training as part of the effort to take over security responsibilities.

For decades, Somalia has been plagued by volatile militant attacks, prompting the African Union and the United Nations to organize peacekeeping missions to secure the country.