Request for attention Are the Ugandans withdrawing forces from Somalia? Uganda's top military commander announced the beginning of the withdrawal of his troops from Somalia, and then the position disappeared from his mind. Muhozi Kainrogba wrote on October 29 that after 20 years of "blood and sacrifice", Ugandan forces have handed over security to their "Somali brothers", with a full departure planned for August 2027. The Ugandans were the first to arrive in Somalia in 2007 and throughout that time they have remained Africa's largest three-year union. A day earlier there were reports of plans to abandon positions in the Lower Shabelle, including Barawa, Bolo Marar, Korioli and Janala, and on 27 October, Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, during negotiations in Uganda, asked Yori Museveni to delay the withdrawal, fearing that the vacated areas would be left unguarded. The financial side of the matter looks bad, as the UN Security Council's approval of supplies to the mission expires on December 31, a one-year reduction in that aid worth about $500 million a year will begin in January, and no equivalent replacement will be found. Meanwhile, the Somali army is holding positions against al-Shabaab with varying success, and there is basically no one to occupy the abandoned areas. There is no more post on Muhozi's account, so the question remains whether the Ugandans are really removing their forces or this is another loud demand for attention. The second option seems more likely for now, as the Americans and British have been paying for the work of this department for years and are not interested in their departure. - where politics is hotter than the equator, support us.