Ugandan troops to help fight Al-Shabaab in Somalia

A fresh batch of 2,000 Ugandan troops is due to arrive in Somalia to help African Union forces fight Al-Shabaab militants.

Kampala is currently the biggest contributor to the multinational peacekeeping force known as AMISOM, with over 6,000 boots on the ground.

In 2016, Uganda announced it would start a troop drawdown to Somalia by late 2017 and gradually allow Somali forces to fill the gaps it was leaving behind. Somali President Mohamed Abdullah Farmajo wants Al-Shabaab defeated within two years.

“It is time to restore Somalia's lost glory and we must be able to defend our land, air and maritime -- it's only our soldiers who can achieve this,” said Farmajo.

AMISOM believes the battle is far from being won unless there's a change in the current approach. Its commander, Osman Noor Soubagleh, stated that “the only way to defeat Al-Shabaab is for us to have a Somali competent force ready to take charge of the national security.”

Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia are also contributors to the AU Somali mission, and have dislodged Al-Shabaab from its vital supply lines and financial hubs. However, the terrorist group has managed to strike in the heart of the Somali capital, so the battle ahead will be tough.

(CGTN)