Al-Shabaab Recaptures Areas Secured by UPDF

Al-Shabaab terrorists have recaptured some areas previously secured by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and other foreign forces in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions, in Somalia.

Al-Shabaab has recently launched lethal operations mostly in areas where forces under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISSOM), which later became African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and now AUSSOM have been withdrawn as part of the drawdown process.

Jacob Marksons Oboth, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, has confirmed that Al-Shaaba have recaptured many areas. Oboth has informed his counterparts from countries contributing peacekeeping forces in Somalia that numbers now need to be increased if they are to encounter the fast gains being made by Al-Shabaab.

“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 said. 

Oboth was speaking to his counterparts and commanders of peacekeeping forces in Somalia at the ongoing evaluation meeting in Kampala. Commanders and senior security delegates from Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Egypt are in Kampala for an evaluation meeting for the mission, which started in 2007.

Al-Shabaab have become more lethal ever since they ransacked the UPDF Base at Buulo-Mareer, Lower Shabelle region on May 26, 2023, where they left 54 Ugandan soldiers dead. The Base commander, Lt Col Edward Nyororo, was among the 54 killed soldiers, while others were captured alive.

UPDF, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and Burundi have been reduced in the last year since United Nations Security Council permanent member countries withdrew their funding at the end of 2021, claiming that AMISSOM forces had outlived their purpose.

UPDF reduced its forces from more than 6,000 to around 3,000, but according to various commanders from Troops Contributing Countries (TCCs), a number that had been reduced needs to be increased to much the lethal attacks launched by Al-Shabaab.

Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Amb. Ahmed Moallim Fiqi expressed deep gratitude to Uganda and all TCCs for nearly two decades of sacrifice. 

“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 reinforcement of foreign forces in Somalia casts doubt on UN Security Council permanent member countries such as the US, UK, France and Germany that Somalia National Forces should be in a position to handle its security needs.