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 Armed Forces (SAF; aka Somali Defense Force): Somali National Army (SNA; aka Land Forces), Somali Navy, Somali Air Force
Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard, commando unit) (2025).
Ministry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard, commando unit) (2025).
In Somalia, the primary responsibility of the Somali National Army (SNA) is combating the al-Shabaab terrorist group, which controls large portions of central and southern Somalia and continues to conduct attacks targeting both military and civilian sites, including military bases, government institutions, and civilian gatherings; the SNA is supported by the National Police, regional/state security forces, and allied militias, as well as international forces; some African Union (AU) countries have provided military assistance to the SNA since 2007 under the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM, 2007-2022), the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS, 2022-2024), and the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM, January 2025-present); Turkey and the US have also provided military support to SNA operations
Turkey and the US have formed and trained SNA units, including the US-backed Danab ("Lightning") Brigade and the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") brigades; SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, UAE, and the UK (2025)
Turkey and the US have formed and trained SNA units, including the US-backed Danab ("Lightning") Brigade and the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") brigades; SNA soldiers have also received training from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the EU, Uganda, UAE, and the UK (2025)
Security and military information of Somalia
| Military and security service personnel strengths | estimated 20,000 active Somali Armed Forces (2025) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the SNA's inventory is a mix of older and donated (typically secondhand) equipment from a variety of suppliers, including Italy, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, and the US (2025) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18-22 for voluntary military service for men and women in the Somali Armed Forces; compulsory service is reportedly authorized, but not currently utilized (2025). |
| 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.
