By Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), confirmed that five personnel perished in a helicopter crash in Somalia on 2 July 2025. This followed a Ugandan military helicopter crashing and catching fire at the main international airport in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. A UPDF Mi-24 helicopter, tail number AUO-015, was flying from Balidogle Airbase in the Lower Shabelle region on a routine combat escort mission when it went down near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.
According to the news that was published by some media at first, the UPDF Mi-24 helicopter crashed near Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport on Wednesday morning, killing five soldiers and injuring six others, including three civilians.
Confirmation
However, on 3 July 2025 while responding to the crash the UPDF spokesperson Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye confirmed that the helicopter was conducting a routine combat escort mission when the incident occurred. Adding that on board were eight personnel, including six crew members.
“The pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer survived but sustained serious injuries and severe burns. The 05 personnel on board died in this helicopter crash.” said Kalayigye. Maj Gen Kulayigye added: “Quick recovery to the injured, and may the souls of the deceased comrades rest in peace.”
Uganda is one of Somalia’s closest military allies, having deployed troops under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to fight the al Shabaab terror group, support the stabilization of Somalia, and rebuild the national army. The UPDF is part of an 11,000-strong African Union (AU) force helping the government fight the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group, which has been waging a brutal insurgency in Somalia for more than two decades.
The impact
The explosion of onboard munitions damaged nearby structures and injured civilians. The survivors were evacuated to the AUSSOM Sector 1 Level II Hospital in Mogadishu.
Emergency responders from the airport, United Nations, and AUSSOM’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit secured the area. “Aviation authorities have commenced investigations to establish the cause of the accident,” AUSSOM said.
Eyewitness Farah Abdule, one of the staff at the airport, said that they heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter. The smoke entirely covered the helicopter. Abdirisak Tuuryare a journalist from Somali working with Shabelle Media Network told Africa-Press that the airport was not damaged but almost 600 meter was cordoned off after the crash.
Tribute
The government of Somalia paid tribute to the Ugandan soldiers who recently died in a chopper crash terming them ‘heroes of our nation’ in a compelling condolence message.
Somalia’s Ministry of Information released a statement saying that the courage and commitment of the UPDF soldiers is a testament to Uganda’s enduring support for Somalia ‘s pursuit of peace and stability. “We honour the bravery and sacrifice of the fallen and stand in the full solidarity with the people and the government of Uganda during this time of grief,”
Uganda and Somalia security ties
In 2007 Uganda became part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which ensured Somalia was liberated from al Shabaab Islamic insurgents. Uganda was the first country to send troops to Somalia and this opened the way for other African countries including Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia to also deploy in the mission which was at one time dubbed as “dead on arrival” until UPDF’s arrival.
In March 2022, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union issued a communique detailing the mandate of the Atmis. It said the new mission which replaced the African Union Mission in Somalia or Amisom, would continue to fight the al Shabaab militant group and develop the capacity of Somali Armed Forces (SAF) to take over security.
In 2024, the governments of Uganda and Somalia signed a joint communiqué to enhance strong defence cooperation between the two East African nations. The signing took place in Kampala during a meeting between Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth, Uganda’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, and his Somali counterpart, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, the Minister of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia
In the same year, Somalia’s Minister of Defence, His Excellency Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur appreciated the commitment and sacrifices made by Uganda noting that this collective effort is essential for ongoing support and development in Somalia. He added that the collaboration reflects shared values of Pan-Africanism and solidarity and is crucial for transferring security responsibilities smoothly to Somali authorities.
Previous UPDF’s chopper crashes
In 2024, three Ugandan senior officers were charged with negligence following a military helicopter crash in Somalia in September 2024. The incident, happened shortly after take-off from Mogadishu, involved a chopper deployed under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and left four peacekeepers injured but alive.
According to Mr Tuuryare, Ugandan military officers were among those training Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers at the time of the helicopter crash at the U.S.-run airfield in Baledogle. In August 2012, three Mi-24 helicopters crashed in the Mount Kenya area route to Mogadishu, killing seven UPDF soldiers. The aircraft were part of a deployment to reinforce the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
In January 2014, another UPDF helicopter crash-landed shortly after take-off from a base in Somalia. That incident caused injuries but no fatalities. Somalia remains embroiled in a long-standing battle against the Islamist extremist group al-Shabaab, which continues to undermine the government’s authority and destabilize the country.
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