MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has rejected an official request from Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to deploy Ugandan troops to the Middle Shabelle region to counter the growing threat posed by the Al-Shabaab militant group.
Sources close to Villa Somalia told Kaab TV that the request was made in response to increased Al-Shabaab activity in the Hirshabelle, at a time when the new African Union-led peacekeeping mission, AUSSOM (African Union Somalia Support Mission), remains underfunded and stalled.
Somalia Federal Government is wary that AUSSOM has yet to secure the necessary funding.
African nations are reportedly unable to shoulder the mission’s financial burden, and the United States has also declined to fully fund the operation.
Meanwhile, Burundian troops previously stationed near the town of Jowhar, the seat of Hirshabelle State, have reportedly withdrawn, creating a security vacuum.
President Museveni has firmly refused to replace the departing Burundian forces with Ugandan troops, a decision that could further destabilize the region.
In a surprising move, Burundian forces exited Garsaale—a strategic area that secures the airport in Jowhar.
Security officials in Hirshabelle’s Ministry of Security told Kaab TV that they were not informed of the Burundian troop withdrawal in advance.
The Burundi forces also vacated another key outpost near Jowhar that played a vital role in the city’s overall security.
The government of Burundi previously announced its intention to withdraw its forces from Somalia, citing dissatisfaction with how troops were allocated under the 2025 AUSSOM mission—an operation still lacking financial backing.
In recent weeks, Al-Shabaab has intensified its presence in parts of Middle Shabelle, seizing control of areas such as Masaajid Cali Guduud, Al-Kowthar, and Aadan Yabaal.
The group has also disrupted security along the road between Jowhar and Mogadishu, and entered the town of Balcad—just 30 kilometers from Mogadishu—at the end of March.
The unexpected withdrawal of Burundian forces has sparked fears among Jowhar residents, who now worry about the implications of the security vacuum left behind.
Jowhar is the capital of the Hirshabelle regional administration.
So far, Hirshabelle authorities have not announced a plan to fill the gaps left by the Burundian troops, whose presence had been critical to maintaining stability in the area.