Uganda’s top military command has announced that the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) will officially withdraw from Somalia within a year, unless the current recurring obstacles, particularly financial problems, are urgently resolved. According to the Kampala Post, a local newspaper in Uganda, this decision was made during a meeting of top military officials at the Presidential Palace in Entebbe on February 24. This marks a significant change in Uganda’s involvement in peacekeeping efforts and Somalia’s stabilization. The meeting was presided over by incumbent Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who sets the strategic priorities for the National Army. Other top brass military officials, including Army Chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, were also in attendance. This decision has caused anxiety within Uganda, as financial problems have plagued the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia. The UPDF was the first African Union troops to enter Somalia in 2007, with the goal of stabilizing the country and rebuilding the Somali army. Their efforts have been crucial in driving out Al-Shabab from strategic areas, including Mogadishu.
