Introduction
How is the Military in Somalia and how does it work to maintain Sucity and fight terrorism? In terms of Military and security forces, we have the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF; aka Somali National Defense Force): Land Forces (Somali National Army or SNA), Somali Navy, Somali Air Force
Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard and a commando unit known as Harmacad or Cheetah)
National Security and Intelligence Agency (includes a commando/counterterrorism unit) (2024).
Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard and a commando unit known as Harmacad or Cheetah)
National Security and Intelligence Agency (includes a commando/counterterrorism unit) (2024).
In Somalia, the Somali National Army (SNA) and supporting security and militia forces are actively conducting operations against the al-Shabaab terrorist group; al-Shabaab controls large parts of southern and central Somalia
the SNA is a lightly armed force of more than a dozen brigades; its most effective units are assessed to be the US-trained Danab ("Lightning") Advanced Infantry Brigade and those of the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") Special Division; as of 2023, the Danab Brigade numbered about 2,000 troops with an eventual projected strength of 3,000, while the Gorgor Division was estimated to have up to 5,000 trained troops; SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, and the UK
the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operated in the country with the approval of the UN from 2007-2022; its peacekeeping mission included assisting Somali forces in providing security for a stable political process, enabling the gradual handing over of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces, and reducing the threat posed by al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups; in April 2022, AMISOM was reconfigured and replaced with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS); the ATMIS mission is to support the Somalia Federal Government (FGS) in implementing the security objectives of the FGS's security transition plan, a comprehensive strategy developed by the FGS and its international partners in 2018 and updated in 2021 to gradually transfer security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces; originally about 20,000-strong (civilians, military, and police), ATMIS began reducing its staffing levels in mid-2023; it is slated to end its mission at the end of 2024
UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM; established 2013) is mandated by the Security Council to work with the FGS to support national reconciliation, provide advice on peace-building and state-building, monitor the human rights situation, and help coordinate the efforts of the international community; the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS; established 2015) is responsible for providing logistical field support to ATMIS, UNSOM, and the Somali security forces on joint operations with ATMIS (2024)
the SNA is a lightly armed force of more than a dozen brigades; its most effective units are assessed to be the US-trained Danab ("Lightning") Advanced Infantry Brigade and those of the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") Special Division; as of 2023, the Danab Brigade numbered about 2,000 troops with an eventual projected strength of 3,000, while the Gorgor Division was estimated to have up to 5,000 trained troops; SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, and the UK
the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operated in the country with the approval of the UN from 2007-2022; its peacekeeping mission included assisting Somali forces in providing security for a stable political process, enabling the gradual handing over of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces, and reducing the threat posed by al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups; in April 2022, AMISOM was reconfigured and replaced with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS); the ATMIS mission is to support the Somalia Federal Government (FGS) in implementing the security objectives of the FGS's security transition plan, a comprehensive strategy developed by the FGS and its international partners in 2018 and updated in 2021 to gradually transfer security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces; originally about 20,000-strong (civilians, military, and police), ATMIS began reducing its staffing levels in mid-2023; it is slated to end its mission at the end of 2024
UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM; established 2013) is mandated by the Security Council to work with the FGS to support national reconciliation, provide advice on peace-building and state-building, monitor the human rights situation, and help coordinate the efforts of the international community; the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS; established 2015) is responsible for providing logistical field support to ATMIS, UNSOM, and the Somali security forces on joint operations with ATMIS (2024)
Security and military information of Somalia
| Military and security service personnel strengths | estimated 20-25,000 regular military personnel (2024) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the SNA is lightly armed with an inventory that includes a variety of older, secondhand equipment largely from Italy, Russia, South Africa, and the UK; in recent years, it has received small quantities of equipment as aid/donations from a variety of countries, including the US (2023) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription of men aged 18-40 and women aged 18-30 is authorized, but not currently utilized (2023). |
| Military deployments | . |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2021 | 6% of GDP (2021 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2020 | 6% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2019 | 5.6% of GDP (2019 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2018 | 6% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2017 | 5.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Terrorism
In Somalia, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Somalia
All Important Facts about Somalia
Want to know more about Somalia? Check all different factbooks for Somalia below.
