UGANDA (Kaab TV) – The Ugandan military has announced the deployment of additional troops to Somalia, where they are expected to join the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia currently operating in the country.
The troops recently completed training in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, focused on civilian protection, community relations, and peacekeeping operations before their planned deployment to Somalia in support of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Uganda’s First Infantry Division Commander, Fred Mwesigye, addressed the troops during the closing ceremony and urged them to play an active role in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants.
He stated that the soldiers would be expected to help strengthen security operations, particularly in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions, which remain among the key frontlines in Somalia’s ongoing counterinsurgency campaign.
Some of the troops were specifically praised for their role in Operation Silent Storm, a military campaign conducted in recent months in the Lower Shabelle region targeting Al-Shabaab strongholds and militant supply routes.
Uganda remains the largest troop-contributing country within the AUSSOM mission and has played a central role in Somalia’s security operations for more than a decade.
Ugandan forces were among the first African Union peacekeepers deployed to Somalia under the former African Union Mission in Somalia mission, which later transitioned into AUSSOM as part of efforts to gradually transfer security responsibilities to Somali forces.
The latest deployment comes at a time when the AUSSOM mission has faced growing financial and operational challenges due to reduced international funding and concerns among some donor countries regarding the long-term sustainability of the mission.
Despite those challenges, Uganda and other troop-contributing countries continue to support Somalia’s efforts to combat Al-Shabaab and stabilize areas recovered from militant control.
Somalia’s security forces, alongside AUSSOM troops and international partners, have intensified military operations in several regions in recent years as part of broader efforts to weaken Al-Shabaab and restore government authority across the country.