Uganda has said its troops will remain in Somalia even as uncertainty grows over the future of the African Union peace support operation in the country.
The Uganda Somalia mission will continue under an existing bilateral arrangement with Mogadishu even if the structure of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, changes, Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka said.
The commitment comes as AUSSOM faces a serious funding and logistical challenge ahead of 2027, following a United States decision not to support continued United Nations logistical assistance to the mission under the existing framework.
For Uganda, however, the wider uncertainty does not appear to mean an end to its military presence in Somalia.
Uganda Somalia Mission Will Continue
Uganda’s Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka confirmed on Friday, August 14, that Ugandan forces would remain in Somalia.
“Uganda is going to remain in Somalia,” Kiwanuka said while discussing the future of the deployment. He indicated that the arrangement could evolve depending on developments surrounding AUSSOM.
The statement is significant because Uganda is one of the major troop-contributing countries supporting Somalia’s security forces.
Ugandan troops have operated in Somalia for years as part of successive African Union missions aimed at supporting the Somali government and limiting the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.
AUSSOM formally became operational on January 1, 2025, replacing the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.
Uganda’s latest position suggests its involvement is not entirely dependent on whether the current AU mission continues in its existing form.
Bilateral Agreement Could Keep Ugandan Troops in Somalia
The most important part of Uganda’s latest announcement is the reference to its bilateral relationship with Somalia.
Kiwanuka said Uganda’s continued presence would be based on a pre-existing agreement between the two countries.
That could give Kampala and Mogadishu another route for maintaining military cooperation if AUSSOM experiences significant changes or eventually winds down.
The exact future structure and size of such a deployment have not yet been publicly detailed.
Kiwanuka also declined to provide extensive information about what the arrangement would look like if the African Union mission were no longer operating in its current form.
What Uganda has made clear is that it does not intend to simply walk away from Somalia.
Why AUSSOM Faces an Uncertain Future
The uncertainty surrounding the Uganda Somalia mission is closely connected to AUSSOM’s funding problems.
AUSSOM currently depends heavily on support from the United Nations for essential logistics, including food, water, fuel, medical services and transportation for troops.
The United States informed the African Union in July that it would not support continued operations of the UN Support Office in Somalia, or UNSOS, beyond the end of 2026 under the existing arrangement.
Washington said it would not necessarily oppose renewing AUSSOM itself, but would oppose extending a system that includes UN logistical or operational support for the mission.
That distinction creates a major problem.
A peace support operation can have troops and a mandate, but those forces still require transportation, supplies, medical assistance and other logistics to operate effectively.
Diplomats familiar with the mission have warned that AUSSOM could struggle to continue without a replacement for UN logistical support.
AUSSOM Already Faces a Funding Shortfall
Money has been one of AUSSOM’s biggest challenges even before the latest uncertainty.
Reuters reported that AUSSOM’s budget for the previous year was about $190 million, while financing had become increasingly difficult to secure.
The United States had earlier blocked a proposed funding system under which UN-assessed contributions could have covered about three-quarters of the mission’s costs.
The situation has raised difficult questions for African governments.
Troop-contributing countries want to preserve security gains in Somalia, but long-term deployments require predictable financing.
Without it, maintaining thousands of personnel and supporting operations becomes increasingly challenging.
Museveni Says Somalia Will Not Be Abandoned
Uganda’s latest statement follows an even stronger commitment made by President Yoweri Museveni at the end of July.
During the second Extraordinary Summit of AUSSOM troop-contributing countries in Kampala on July 31, Museveni said Somalia would not be abandoned because some international partners were reducing their support.
The summit brought together African leaders, military officials and representatives from Somalia to discuss the future of the mission.
Museveni argued that African countries should increasingly develop their own solutions for regional security challenges rather than depending entirely on outside support.
The Ugandan president said countries involved in the Somalia operation had agreed that efforts to stabilise the country would continue despite uncertainty surrounding external assistance.
His position now appears to be reflected in the government’s decision to maintain Ugandan troops in Somalia even if the current AU framework changes.
African Union Wants Sustainable AUSSOM Funding
The African Union has also made clear that securing predictable financing is now one of its top priorities.
Following the July 31 summit in Kampala, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for stronger cooperation with international partners to secure adequate and sustainable financing for AUSSOM.
He also praised Uganda for its longstanding contribution to peace and security in Somalia and the wider region.
The AU says it remains committed to supporting Somalia’s stabilisation and state-building efforts while helping the Somali government gradually take greater responsibility for national security.
But the organisation now faces the difficult task of finding a financial model that can sustain that commitment.
Uganda Has Played a Long Role in Somalia
Uganda has been deeply involved in African-led security operations in Somalia for nearly two decades.
It was among the first countries to deploy troops under the African Union Mission in Somalia in 2007.
Successive missions eventually evolved from AMISOM to ATMIS and then to the current AUSSOM framework.
The July 2026 Kampala summit was described by Ugandan officials as an important moment in deciding how those security efforts should continue as international financing becomes less predictable.
Uganda’s continued involvement also reflects Kampala’s view that instability in Somalia can have consequences beyond Somalia’s borders.
The government has consistently argued that combating extremist groups and supporting regional stability are important to East Africa’s broader security.
Al-Shabaab Remains a Major Security Challenge
AUSSOM works alongside Somali security forces as Somalia continues confronting Al-Shabaab, the militant group that has fought the Somali government for years.
The group continues to operate across parts of southern and central Somalia and has mounted renewed offensives despite years of military pressure from Somali and international forces.
That continuing threat is one reason African governments are reluctant to withdraw peace support forces without a clear transition plan.
A rapid reduction in outside support could put additional pressure on Somalia’s security institutions at a time when they are still working to expand control and maintain stability.
Uganda Somalia Mission Highlights Africa’s Funding Dilemma
Uganda’s decision exposes a larger problem facing African peace operations.
Many African countries are willing to contribute troops, but large missions require money and logistical systems that have traditionally depended heavily on international partners.
The July Kampala summit acknowledged that challenge directly.
AU Commission Chairperson Youssouf said international cooperation remained necessary to secure predictable and sustainable funding while Somalia gradually assumes greater ownership of its security and stabilisation agenda.
Ugandan officials have similarly warned that unpredictable financing threatens the effectiveness of the mission. At the July summit, Kiwanuka identified funding uncertainty as one of the major challenges facing AUSSOM.
The current situation could therefore push African governments to rethink how future regional peace operations are financed.
What Happens to AUSSOM After 2026?
AUSSOM’s immediate mandate continues through 2026, but the bigger question is what happens when the current UN support framework reaches the end of the year.
The United States has said it would oppose continued UN logistical backing under the present arrangement.
That leaves the African Union, Somalia and international partners with several months to work out whether an alternative financing and logistics system can be developed.
The AU has already begun intensified discussions with troop-contributing countries and international partners.
At the Kampala summit, participating governments reaffirmed their commitment to Somalia while emphasising the need for a sustainable financial solution.
Uganda’s latest announcement adds another important element: Kampala intends to maintain its presence even if the broader multinational structure changes.
Uganda Signals Long-Term Commitment to Somalia
The Uganda Somalia mission has therefore reached an important turning point.
Uganda is not saying that AUSSOM’s funding problems are unimportant. On the contrary, its leaders have repeatedly acknowledged that the current financial model is difficult to sustain.
But Kampala is drawing a distinction between the future of AUSSOM and the future of Uganda’s own involvement in Somalia.
The African Union mission may be restructured. International financial support may change. UN logistical assistance may end under its current arrangement.
Uganda, however, says its troops will remain.
That commitment gives Somalia an important measure of reassurance at a time when questions are growing over the future of international security support.
It also signals that Uganda increasingly sees its role in Somalia not simply as participation in an African Union mission, but as part of a longer-term regional security partnership between Kampala and Mogadishu.
