Peacekeepers plan to take over bases near Somalia’s capital as Ugandan troops withdraw

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Peacekeepers plan to replace departing Ugandan troops at four bases near Somalia’s capital to prevent al-Shabab militants from exploiting a security vacuum, according to a letter from the African Union mission to the U.N. support office in Somalia obtained by The Associated Press.Uganda says all its troops will leave Somalia by the end of 2027, ending a 20-year deployment. Those leaving now were deployed under a bilateral agreement with Somalia’s government. Uganda also contributes troops to the African Union peacekeeping mission.Funding shortages have accelerated the withdrawal, said Farhan Isak Yusuf, deputy executive director of Somali Public Agenda, a Mogadishu-based public policy research organization. Uganda’s military statement did not say why the bilateral troops were being withdrawn immediately.The peacekeepers will move from Barawe, a port town about 220 kilometers (135 miles) southwest of Mogadishu. It is unclear who will take over the bases they le