The facts
Ugandan military spokesman Col. Chris Magezi told AP that the first cohort under the phased withdrawal had arrived back in Uganda and that thousands of Ugandan troops remained in Somalia. [1][2]
Magezi said all Ugandan troops are expected to depart by the end of 2027. The exact size of the first cohort and a unit-by-unit schedule were not given in the AP report. [1]
AP says Uganda first deployed in 2007 under successive AU missions and that the withdrawal coincides with closure of the U.N. political mission; al-Shabab remains active, but the reports do not establish the effect of the drawdown on security. [1][2]
Still unconfirmed
- The number of troops in the first returning cohort and the detailed withdrawal timetable remain unspecified.
- The effect of the drawdown on Somali and regional security is not yet established.
- The bilateral agreement’s full terms were not published in the reports reviewed.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 2 Nov 2026, 22:32 UTC.
No direct text of the bilateral withdrawal agreement or full Ugandan military statement was located. AP quotes the military spokesman and Reuters independently reports the first cohort’s return and phased schedule.
- Uganda begins withdrawing peacekeeping troops that helped repel militants in Somalia
The Associated Press · Reporting · 2 Nov 2026
Opened AP’s 2 November report. It quotes Ugandan military spokesman Col. Chris Magezi saying the first cohort arrived back and all Ugandan troops are expected to leave by the end of 2027; thousands remain deployed.
- Uganda says it has started withdrawing troops from Somalia
Reuters via ThePrint · Reporting · 2 Nov 2026
Opened Reuters-syndicated report via ThePrint. It independently reports the phased AUSSOM drawdown and first troops’ return; this is Reuters reporting, not a second copy of AP.