General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of Uganda's defence forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, stated that the country intends to withdraw its 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers soon, after leading missions like AMISOM and the current AUSSOM since 2007. The decision follows years of funding shortfalls for the mission and pressure from donors like the U.S. to hand over to Somali forces. Reactions range from Ugandans thanking troops for sacrifices to divided Somali views—some celebrate less dependency, others fear al-Shabaab gains amid ongoing attacks.
