Kampala, Uganda — Uganda's army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has accused the United States of secretly negotiating with Somalia-based jihadist group Al-Shabaab, which he described as a persistent threat to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

In a message posted on social media, Gen. Muhoozi questioned the logic of Uganda continuing its 18-year military involvement in Somalia while, according to him, Washington engages in backdoor talks with the same militant group linked to Al-Qaeda. He did not provide any evidence to support his claim.

"Why are we still fighting in Somalia when our ally, the United States, is allegedly holding secret talks with Al-Shabaab?" Muhoozi wrote. "Uganda has lost many soldiers in the effort to restore peace to Somalia."

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The comments come as Uganda remains one of the key contributors to the African Union mission in Somalia, now restructured as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), launched in 2007 to combat Al-Shabaab and stabilize the country.

Neither the U.S. government nor Al-Shabaab has responded publicly to Muhoozi's claims.

The United States maintains a military presence in Somalia, including hundreds of troops who conduct airstrikes targeting Al-Shabaab leaders. Washington is also involved in counterterrorism operations against Islamic State fighters based in the mountainous Bari region, particularly in Al-Miskaad, where recent air raids have been reported.

Uganda was the first country to deploy troops to Somalia under the AU mission in 2007 and continues to hold a major share of the peacekeeping forces, securing key government installations in Mogadishu.

The transition to the new AUSSOM mission faces growing uncertainty due to funding shortfalls after the United States and European donors declined to continue financial support -- a move that could threaten the mission's viability.