Uganda has announced that 54 soldiers were killed on 26th May in Somalia in an attack claimed by radical Islamist Al Shabab. This assault on the African Union (AU) base, manned by Ugandan soldiers, took place in Bulo Marer, located 120 km southwest of the capital Mogadishu. It involved a car bomb, suicide bombers, and subsequent clashes with automatic weapons.
The al-Qaeda-affiliated Al Shabab, who have been engaging in a bloody insurgency in the country for over fifteen years, have claimed responsibility for the attack. They declared that they “occupied” the base and caused significant casualties.
The exact death toll was not initially provided by Atmis or Mogadishu but was finally announced by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday evening. In a statement posted on his official Twitter account, President Museveni confirmed, “We found the lifeless bodies of 54 soldiers, including a commander.” This attack stands as one of the deadliest incidents since the Atmis-backed Somali government launched an offensive against Shebab in September last year.
Two days after the assault, President Museveni expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, implicitly acknowledging the casualties. He also stated that “all the facts” would be made public.
President Museveni attributed the high death toll to the poor decisions made by two officers who panicked in the face of the attack by “800 terrorists” and ordered their soldiers to retreat. These officers failed to react as expected, causing disorganization within the ranks, which allowed Shebab to invade the base and destroy some equipment. The President announced that the two officers would face court-martial for their actions.
Despite the challenges, President Museveni commended the resilience and reorganization of the Ugandan soldiers, which enabled them to retake the base.
According to a Somali army commander, there was violent fighting before the militants retreated due to reinforcements sent by Atmis, including helicopter gunships.
The attack has been condemned by the United States and the European Union.
The Shabab militants have been fighting against the Somali government and its international allies, seeking to establish Islamic law in the Horn of Africa. In 2007, the African Union deployed a force called Amisom, consisting of soldiers and police from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya, with the aim of countering Shebab. Amisom was authorized by the UN Security Council.
Atmis took over from Amisom in April 2022 with a more offensive mandate, aiming to transfer full responsibility for Somalia’s security to Somali forces by the end of 2024.
Although the militants were driven out of major towns in 2011-2012, they remain firmly entrenched in vast rural areas.
In May 2022, they launched a major attack on an Atmis base manned by Burundian soldiers north of Mogadishu. While the Somali authorities and the AU did not provide official figures, Burundian military sources informed AFP that 45 soldiers were either killed or missing.
After returning to power in May 2022, Somali President Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud declared an “all-out war” against them and initiated a military offensive, supported by Atmis and US air strikes. In September, the Somali president dispatched troops to aid local clan militias that had risen up against the Shabab in the country’s centre.
Since then, the army and these militias, known as “macawisley”, have successfully recaptured significant territories from the Shebab with the support of Atmis and US air strikes.
Despite these setbacks, the militants continues to carry out deadly attacks, targeting both urban areas and military installations. On 29th October 2022, two car bombs exploded in Mogadishu, resulting in the deaths of 121 people and injuring 333 others. This incident marked the deadliest attack in the country in five years.
In a report to the UN Security Council in February, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that 2022 had been the deadliest year for civilians in Somalia since 2017, primarily due to Shebab attacks.
Furthermore, Somalia, along with its neighbouring countries, is grappling with a devastating drought, described as the worst in at least four decades. The UN estimates that approximately half of Somalia’s population will require humanitarian assistance this year, with 8.3 million people affected by the drought.