- BIST10011,729+2.15%
- USD50.07+0.05%
- EUR55.96-0.52%
- GOLD4,129.40+1.34%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN74,602-0.16%
- November 9, 202613°
- BIST10011,729+2.15%
- USD50.07+0.05%
- EUR55.96-0.52%
- GOLD4,129.40+1.34%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN74,602-0.16%
- November 9, 202613°
Somali Guardian: Türkiye pledges most of Mogadishu's troop request after Uganda withdrawal
Somali Guardian reported that Türkiye had pledged to deploy 15,000 troops to Somalia before January 2027, after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud asked his country's allies for 20,000 troops following the start of Uganda's troop withdrawal. Neither Ankara nor Mogadishu has officially confirmed the figure so far.
Hilal Times Editorial DeskUpdated:
Somali Guardian reported that Türkiye had pledged to deploy 15,000 troops to Somalia to help fill the security gap left by the withdrawal of Ugandan forces, citing Gaylan Media.
The newspaper said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had appealed to his country's allies to provide 20,000 troops after Uganda's forces began their surprise withdrawal. Türkiye then pledged 15,000 troops, which are expected to be deployed before January 2027 in the cities of Barawe and Baidoa, as well as the capital Mogadishu and surrounding areas, under the bilateral defense agreement between the two countries.
As of publication, no official Turkish body, including the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor the Somali government had confirmed the figure. Neither side had issued an official comment on the newspaper's report.
Security gap south of Mogadishu
The Ugandan military announced on November 2 that it had begun withdrawing its forces deployed in Somalia under a bilateral agreement with Mogadishu, confirming that the first contingent had already returned to Uganda. Ugandan military spokesman Colonel Chris Magezi said all Ugandan forces, including those serving with the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, would leave by the end of 2027.
Uganda was the first country to deploy forces to the African Union mission in Somalia in 2007, and its soldiers took part in driving al-Shabaab from Mogadishu's markets and neighborhoods. In a letter from AUSSOM to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia seen by the Associated Press, the mission said it planned to take over four sites being vacated by the Ugandans—Sabid-Anole, Biriirey, Awdhegle and Bolowgad—during the troop rotations scheduled for November. The letter described the sites as vital to protecting the capital.
Somali National Security Adviser Oweis Haji Yusuf, however, stressed that the redeployment “should not be understood as a complete withdrawal” of Ugandan forces. He explained that the Ugandan unit in AUSSOM would remain and continue working alongside partner forces and the Somali National Army.
The Somali government says its forces are increasingly capable of assuming security responsibilities in the fight against al-Shabaab. Thousands of Somali soldiers have graduated from the TURKSOM military training base that Türkiye opened in Mogadishu in 2017, including members of the special Gorgor forces. The 22nd Brigade of those forces completed an advanced training program in Türkiye this week.
Regional obligations before year-end
The developments come weeks before the current United Nations mandate for AUSSOM expires. In December 2025, the UN Security Council extended the mission's mandate until December 31, 2026, while keeping its authorized strength at 11,826 personnel, including 680 police officers. The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia also ended its work on October 31, a move Somali authorities view as a step toward managing the country's affairs independently.
The Associated Press quoted Farhan Ishaq Yusuf, deputy executive director of the Somali Public Agenda research center in Mogadishu, as saying that funding shortages had accelerated Uganda's withdrawal. He noted that Lower Shabelle, where the withdrawing forces had been deployed, was crucial to protecting the capital.
Regarding the partnership with Ankara, Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi met in Mogadishu on November 4 with a Turkish military delegation led by Sabahuddin Kılıç of the Turkish General Staff to discuss the security situation in the Horn of Africa and counterterrorism, according to Somalia's Ministry of Defense. The ministry's statement did not mention troop numbers. On the same day, Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense announced that its frigates Gökçeada and Yıldırım were escorting a Turkish fishing vessel planning to conduct exploratory fishing in Somalia's exclusive economic zone, while continuing toward Mogadishu to rotate the Turkish naval task group there. In July, the Turkish Parliament extended for two years the authorization to deploy Turkish forces in Somalia, based on the defense and economic cooperation agreement signed by the two countries in February 2024.
Source: Somali Guardian. Image: Somali National Television (SNTV)
Have a story, event or announcement of your own?Send us your news on WhatsApp
Spotted an error in this story?Report it on WhatsApp
Share on all social platforms
Sponsored Ads
Featured Listings
Loading featured properties...
Stay Updated with Hilal Times
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
