Saudi Arabia Trains Over 5,000 Somalian Troops for Army Integration

By Al Mayadeen English

12 Jul 2026 23:36

Saudi Arabia is supporting a program to train over 5,000 Somali soldiers as Mogadishu seeks to rebuild its armed forces and strengthen security.

A high-level Saudi military delegation visited two training camps in the town of Guri Ceel in Somalia's Galguduud region, where forces affiliated with the Somali federal government are undergoing training as part of a Saudi-backed program to prepare new military units for integration into the Somali National Army.

The visit comes within the framework of growing defense cooperation between Mogadishu and Riyadh, with the program, as per reports, aimed at strengthening the capabilities and readiness of newly formed Somali military units.

According to media reports, the training program includes 5,107 soldiers at the two camps, including around 2,000 young recruits from the Puntland state, while the remaining trainees were recruited from various regions across Somalia.

The training is expected to last nine months, during which recruits will receive instruction in basic military skills, operational procedures, and combat training before joining the Somali Army.

Foreign trainers involved in program

Reports said the trainers participating in the program are foreign personnel from Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, and Colombia.

The Somali government has not yet released official details regarding the selection process for the trainers or the nature of the training being conducted at the two camps.

The Saudi delegation's visit comes months after Somalia and Saudi Arabia signed a defense and military cooperation agreement in Riyadh on February 9, 2026, aimed at strengthening defense ties, military training, and coordination between the two countries.

The agreement was signed by Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and his Saudi counterpart, Khalid bin Salman.

Somalia seeks to rebuild armed forces

The Somali government has been working to rebuild its armed forces and enhance their ability to assume security responsibilities amid ongoing operations against Al-Shabaab and the gradual transfer of security duties from African Union forces to Somali security institutions.

The initiative also reflects Saudi Arabia's efforts to expand its security and defense presence in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa, a strategically important region linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and witnessing increasing regional and international competition.