Somalia edges toward 100,000-troop goal with new Qatar-trained unit deployed in capital
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s drive to build a 100,000-strong national army gained fresh momentum as a new unit trained in Qatar was deployed across Mogadishu, part of a broader, multinational effort to professionalize the country’s security forces after years of conflict.
- Advertisement -
About 600 Somali soldiers returned from long-term training in Doha and have been placed under the National Intelligence and Security Agency’s Banadir command, according to multiple security sources. Turkey is supplying weapons and gear to the unit as part of its ongoing support to Somalia’s security sector.
Officials said the formation has reached full brigade strength after additional personnel were integrated. Troops are now positioned at several strategic points in the capital, which in recent weeks has seen a series of security incidents. Residents in Mogadishu report the newly deployed forces have exhibited strong discipline and respectful conduct, earning praise on social media as they begin integration with the Somali National Army.
The deployment is one piece of a wider push to accelerate force generation. Alongside Qatar, the United States, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Uganda, Eritrea, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia are involved in training and equipping units earmarked to take over security responsibilities nationwide. Somali officials have framed the effort as central to stabilizing the country and consolidating gains against insurgent threats.
The focus on building cohesive, well-equipped units comes as the capital remains a target for attacks. While authorities have not disclosed detailed tasking for the new brigade-level formation, its footprint across Mogadishu is designed to reinforce key corridors, reassure residents and support ongoing counterterrorism operations led by Somali agencies.
In a separate incident underscoring the regional threat, an improvised explosive device struck a Border Patrol Unit vehicle Wednesday along the Kulan–Liboi road in Kenya’s Garissa County, killing two officers and injuring five, authorities said.
Officials reported the patrol was on a routine security sweep when it hit a roadside bomb in an area long targeted by suspected al-Shabaab militants operating near the Kenya–Somalia frontier. Security forces launched a pursuit of the attackers following the blast.
The attack came after a period of relative calm in Garissa and highlights the continued risk posed by al-Shabaab cells that exploit porous border terrain and vulnerable patrol routes. Kenya has deployed Special Operations Group units to the volatile corridor in an effort to deter cross-border incursions and disrupt militant networks.
The simultaneous developments — a fresh Somali deployment in Mogadishu and a deadly strike just across the border — capture the delicate balance facing security planners: building durable state capacity while countering an adaptable insurgency. For Somalia, the new Qatar-trained brigade and ongoing international training pipelines represent a step toward the stated goal of a 100,000-strong force capable of securing the capital and extending state authority nationwide.
For residents of Mogadishu, the immediate measure of progress is visible on the streets: disciplined, uniformed troops at key checkpoints and public nodes. For regional security officials, the test will be sustaining that presence while preventing attacks like the one in Garissa and denying militants the space to regroup.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
