Kampala Suspends Military Cooperation with Ankara as Dispute Raises Questions Over Uganda’s Role in Somalia
KAMPALA (WDN) — Somalia has emerged as an important backdrop to a widening dispute between Uganda and Türkiye after Kampala suspended all defence and military cooperation with Ankara, raising questions about the potential implications for Somalia’s increasingly complex security partnerships.
A Dispute Unfolds
The sequence of events has drawn particular attention. On September 18, 2026, supporters of Uganda’s Patriotic League demonstrated outside the Turkish Embassy in Kampala, demanding the return of Ugandan political commentator Fred Lumbuye, whose extradition Uganda has previously sought.
On September 19, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces announced the immediate suspension of all military and defence cooperation with Türkiye, citing unresolved bilateral defence issues. The official statement did not mention either Somalia or Lumbuye and did not publicly identify the specific dispute behind the decision.
On September 21, Middle East Eye, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the dispute was linked to Uganda’s military presence in Somalia and Türkiye’s expanding security role there. The sources reportedly said disagreements had emerged over the future of Ugandan forces in Somalia, with Mogadishu seeking a gradual transfer of greater security responsibility to Somali forces.
Neither Uganda nor Somalia had publicly confirmed that explanation, making it important to distinguish the reported Somalia connection from the official Ugandan announcement.
Somalia at the Centre of a Wider Strategic Contest
The dispute nevertheless has particular significance for Somalia.Uganda has thousands of troops serving in Somalia under AUSSOM, following its participation in earlier African Union missions. Türkiye, meanwhile, has developed a substantial security partnership with Mogadishu, including military training, defence cooperation and support for Somali forces.
Uganda is also expected to withdraw its forces from Somalia by August 2027, according to recent reporting, adding another dimension to the debate over the future of Somalia’s security arrangements.
Financial and Strategic Stakes
Some reports have suggested that Uganda could lose tens of millions of dollars annually if its military presence in Somalia were significantly reduced. Those figures have not been officially confirmed by either Uganda or Somalia and should therefore be treated cautiously.
The broader strategic picture is clearer: Uganda remains a major contributor to international military efforts against Al-Shabaab, while Türkiye has steadily expanded its role in training and supporting Somalia’s security institutions.
The two partnerships are not inherently incompatible. But the deterioration in Kampala-Ankara relations raises questions about whether their competing strategic interests could eventually affect Somalia’s security environment.
For now, neither Uganda nor Türkiye has announced any change to its military activities in Somalia as a direct consequence of the dispute.
The immediate question is whether the September 19 rupture—and the Somalia-related explanation reported two days later—will eventually have consequences for the security partnerships on which Somalia continues to depend.
WardheerNews