Somalia graduates 23rd Darwish police cohort in Djibouti as security build-up accelerates ahead of 2026 vote
MOGADISHU — Somali Police Commissioner Brig. Gen. Asad Osman Abdullahi on Thursday attended a graduation ceremony in Djibouti marking the completion of training for the 23rd batch of the Somali Police Darwish forces, underscoring a push to professionalize Somalia’s security services as the country prepares for a landmark one-person, one-vote election in 2026.
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- The Darwish cohort completed rigorous training in Djibouti to bolster Somalia’s internal security and counterterrorism efforts.
- Senior Djiboutian officials joined the ceremony, highlighting deepening Somalia–Djibouti security cooperation.
- Graduates will deploy across Somalia to support stabilization operations and protect civilians in newly liberated areas.
“You are the shield of our nation,” the Police Commissioner told the graduates. “The skills and discipline you have acquired here in Djibouti will be instrumental in our ongoing efforts to restore peace and order across Somalia.”
Djibouti has long served as a critical training hub for Somali security forces, providing facilities, instructors and institutional support as Somalia rebuilds law enforcement capacity weakened by decades of conflict. The attendance of high-ranking Djiboutian government and security officials at Thursday’s ceremony was a pointed signal of continued bilateral alignment on security, counterterrorism and regional stability.
Somali officials said the newly minted Darwish officers will be dispatched to multiple regions in the coming days and weeks. Their mission portfolio includes backing police operations against armed groups, securing population centers, and reinforcing stabilization efforts in areas recently freed from militant control. Authorities framed the deployment as part of an incremental strategy to extend the rule of law, protect communities and create conditions for political and economic normalization.
The Darwish, a specialized arm within the Somali Police, have been central to domestic security operations that demand mobility, discipline and close coordination with other national and regional forces. Thursday’s graduation is the latest in a series of capacity-building steps designed to expand the force’s footprint while tightening standards for training, conduct and command-and-control.
The ceremony also unfolded against a charged political backdrop. Somalia is aiming to hold its first direct, one-person, one-vote election in 2026, a significant departure from the indirect, clan-based model that has governed past polls. Opposition groups have announced a boycott, accusing the federal government of unilaterally steering the electoral roadmap. Federal officials insist the shift to a universal franchise is essential to deepen democratic legitimacy and that security improvements are fundamental to delivering a credible vote.
Analysts say the recruitment and preparation of additional police units—particularly those trained to operate in complex environments—will be pivotal to safeguarding voter registration, campaign activities and eventual polling. The deployment of the new Darwish cohort is intended to complement broader security sector reforms, including closer coordination with federal member states and the expansion of community policing to improve public trust.
While challenges remain—from sporadic attacks to logistical constraints across a large and often austere terrain—Somali and Djiboutian officials cast the graduation as evidence of momentum. The emphasis on discipline, professionalism and joint operations reflects a regional security calculus built on training partnerships and shared intelligence, even as Somalia assumes a greater share of responsibility for its own security.
With the 23rd batch now ready to deploy, authorities say the priority is translating classroom and field instruction into steady gains on the ground: better protected communities, fewer attacks on civilians, and a more secure environment for political processes. Whether this infusion of trained personnel can shift the security balance will be tested as the units fan out across newly stabilized districts and high-risk corridors ahead of a busy political calendar.
For the graduates, Thursday’s commissioning was a milestone and a mandate. As the Police Commissioner put it, their task now is to take the discipline honed in Djibouti and apply it in towns and villages across Somalia—where confidence in the state is built, or lost, by what happens at the perimeter of a checkpoint, on a night patrol, or during a tense operation to keep ordinary people safe.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
