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281 Uganda troops withdraw from Somalia

December 7, 2017 at 3:20 pm

Ugandan troops serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) [AMISOM Public Information/Flickr]

The withdrawal of Ugandan troops has begun in Somalia, Garowe Online reported.

The Ugandan military made the announcement yesterday regarding their officials who are operating as part of a United Nations plan to reduce the number of African Union troops. The AU has already announced that it is reducing the number of its troops by 1,000 before the end of the year.

Some 20,000 soldiers are currently serving as part of the UN-backed fight against Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Uganda has sent some 6,000 troops to Somalia since 2007.

Kenya, Burundi and Djibouti will be reducing the number of soldiers in Somalia.

Ethiopia last month, in a departure from other African Union countries, sent 1,000 troops to Somalia to battle Al-Shabaab.

It is unknown why the African countries and the African Union have decided to withdraw troops at this time.

The British government has deployed a special regiment of 185 military personnel to train and work with African Union troops. While the United States frequently executes drone strikes against Al-Shabaab. The Latest US strike killed some 100 Somalis.

Unrest in Somalia has increased recently in densely populated civilian areas with the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab carrying out a number of strikes in the country. The latest attack in the capital, Mogadishu, killed some 300 Somalis.

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