On Friday 13 November 2026, Uganda’s government denied online reports that its soldiers were killed in an ambush in Somalia. Dennis Katungi, deputy executive director of the Uganda Media Centre (the Ugandan government’s information agency), called the reports false when he spoke to reporters in Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
Key Facts
—Denial. Uganda rejects as false the online reports that 10 to 11 soldiers were killed.
—Claim. Online reports say militants hit a convoy leaving Lower Shabelle, a region south-west of Mogadishu.
—Withdrawal. Uganda began pulling out its bilateral forces on 2 November and plans to exit fully by the end of 2027.
—Unknown. We found no independent confirmation of any ambush.
Uganda says the ambush story is false, and its army is already in a phased exit from Somalia. Somalia’s security adviser says Ugandan forces under the African Union mission stay for now.
What Uganda Said on 13 November
Katungi told reporters that the reports were false and were spread by al-Shabaab, a Somali armed Islamist group fighting the federal government. Uganda rejected the claim that its soldiers were killed.
The online reports claimed militants ambushed a convoy of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF, Uganda’s army) as it left Lower Shabelle. They said the convoy served under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the force run by the African Union, the continental body of 55 states, that replaced the earlier mission, and that 10 to 11 soldiers died.
Somalia’s wider security picture is in our Somalia geopolitics explainer. It also covers why foreign troops have stayed in the country for so long.
The Withdrawal Behind the Claim
On Monday 2 November 2026, the UPDF said in a statement by Colonel Chris Magezi, Acting Director of Defence Public Information, that it had begun withdrawing troops serving under bilateral arrangements with Somalia’s federal government. Those are Uganda-Somalia agreements outside the AU mission, and the first group had already arrived back in Uganda.
The army said this bilateral withdrawal, which we covered in our earlier report on the exit, would be completed within days. It also said it would gradually withdraw all its forces in Somalia, including those under AUSSOM, by the close of 2027, ending a 20-year mission.
On Wednesday 4 November 2026, Somalia’s National Security Adviser, Awes Hagi Yusuf, said the personnel redeploying were primarily bilateral forces. He said the Ugandan contingent under AUSSOM remains in Somalia, and that the redeployment should not be read as a complete withdrawal.
He spoke after chairing a three-party meeting on Tuesday 3 November 2026 of the federal government, AUSSOM and the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS). The meeting took place at Villa Somalia, the presidential compound.
Why It Matters
If the denial is right, the phased exit continues on the stated timetable, with all Ugandan forces gone by the end of 2027. The UPDF says its exit lets Somalia’s own forces assume full responsibility for security, and our Uganda politics explainer shows who in Kampala makes these decisions.
The army’s statement of 2 November and the Somali statement of 4 November concern different groups of Ugandan troops. Background on al-Shabaab, the Somali ports and the breakaway region of Somaliland is in our Somalia explainer.
What Is Not Known
We did not find an independent confirmation of any ambush, and we did not find a statement by al-Shabaab on it. The toll of 10 to 11 soldiers in the online reports is therefore unverified.
The statements we found do not say which Ugandan positions close first. They also do not say when AUSSOM troops leave Lower Shabelle.
What to Watch
The UPDF set the close of 2027 as the deadline for all its forces, which is a target date, not a checkpoint. We found no dated review meeting or reporting date, so the next confirmed checkpoint is not known, and we track it in our Somalia coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Uganda deny on 13 November 2026?
Uganda’s government denied online reports that 10 to 11 of its soldiers died in an ambush in Somalia. The Uganda Media Centre said the reports were false.
Is Uganda leaving Somalia?
Yes, in stages. The UPDF said on 2 November 2026 that it would withdraw all its forces by the close of 2027.
Are all Ugandan troops leaving now?
No. Somalia’s National Security Adviser said on 4 November 2026 that the Ugandan contingent under AUSSOM remains in Somalia.
Who is al-Shabaab?
Al-Shabaab is a Somali armed Islamist group fighting the federal government. Uganda says it spread the reports.
Sources
Uganda Media Centre press conference, Kampala, 13 November 2026 · UPDF statement, 2 November 2026 · Somalia National Security Adviser, Mogadishu, 4 November 2026 · The Rio Times analysis.
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