MOGADISHU, SOMALIA — Al-Shabaab militants have successfully reclaimed several territories previously secured by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and other international forces operating in Somalia’s Middle and Lower Shabelle regions.
This resurgence follows a series of aggressive operations by Al-Shabaab, particularly in areas vacated by forces under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISSOM), which later transitioned to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and is now known as AUSSOM. These withdrawals are part of an ongoing drawdown process.
Jacob Marksons Oboth, Uganda’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, has confirmed the Al-Shabaab territorial gains. Oboth has also communicated to his counterparts from troop-contributing countries (TCCs) in Somalia the urgent need for increased troop deployments to counter Al-Shabaab’s rapid advancements.
“I want to inform you that Al-Shabaab are recapturing many places which had previously been secured. There is an urgent need to counter the growing threats posed by Al-Shabaab and reinforce ongoing stabilisation efforts in Somalia,” Oboth stated.
Oboth made these remarks during an evaluation meeting in Kampala, attended by his counterparts and commanders of peacekeeping forces in Somalia. The meeting, which commenced in 2007, brought together commanders and senior security delegates from Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, and Egypt.
Al-Shabaab’s operational lethality has increased significantly since their attack on the UPDF base in Buulo-Mareer, Lower Shabelle region, on May 26, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 54 Ugandan soldiers, including base commander Lt. Col. Edward Nyororo. Other soldiers were captured alive during the assault.
The UPDF, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and Burundian forces have experienced troop reductions over the past year, following the withdrawal of funding by United Nations Security Council permanent member countries at the end of 2021. These countries argued that AMISSOM forces had outlived their intended purpose.
The UPDF, for example, reduced its troop presence from over 6,000 to approximately 3,000. However, commanders from various TCCs are now advocating for a reversal of this reduction to effectively counter the escalating Al-Shabaab threat.
Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Amb. Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, expressed profound gratitude to Uganda and all TCCs for their nearly two decades of service.
“Your commitment and bravery have written a chapter of African solidarity that history will not forget. We have a functioning government, a growing national army, and clear political structures. But we cannot complete this fight alone,” Fiqi said.
The call for reinforced foreign military presence in Somalia casts doubt on the assessment made by UN Security Council permanent member countries, including the US, UK, France, and Germany, that Somalia’s national forces are capable of independently managing the country’s security challenges.
