Somali Armed Forces The Somali Armed Forces ( SAF ) are the military forces of Somalia , officially known as the " Federal Republic of Somalia " . Headed by the President as Commander in Chief , they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation ' s sovereignty , independence and territorial integrity . The SAF was initially made up of the Army , Navy , Air Force and Police Force . In the post - independence period , it grew to become among the larger militaries in Africa . The subsequent outbreak of the civil war in 1991 meant that the Somali National Army ' ceased to exist ' . In 2004 , the gradual process of reconstituting the military was put in motion with the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government ( TFG ) . The Somali Armed Forces are now overseen by the Ministry of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia , formed in mid - 2012 . The Somaliland and Puntland regional governments maintain their own security and police forces . History . Middle Ages to colonial period . Historically , Somali society conferred distinction upon warriors ( " waranle " ) and rewarded military acumen . All Somali males were regarded as potential soldiers , except for the odd religious cleric ( " wadaado " ) . Somalia ' s many Sultan ates each maintained regular troops . In the early Middle Ages , the conquest of Shewa by the Ifat Sultanate ignited a rivalry for supremacy with the Solomonic dynasty . Many similar battles were fought between the succeeding Sultanate of Adal and the Solomonids , with both sides achieving victory and suffering defeat . During the protracted Ethiopian - Adal War ( 1529 – 1559 ) , Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al - Ghazi defeated several Ethiopian Emperors and embarked on a conquest referred to as the " Futuh Al - Habash " ( " Conquest of Abyssinia " ) , which brought three - quarters of Christian Abyssinia under the power of the Muslim Adal Sultanate . Al - Ghazi ' s forces and their Ottoman allies came close to extinguishing the ancient Ethiopian kingdom , but the Abyssinians managed to secure the assistance of Cristóvão da Gama ' s Portuguese troops and maintain their domain ' s autonomy . However , both polities in the process exhausted their resources and manpower , which resulted in the contraction of both powers and changed regional dynamics for centuries to come . Many historians trace the origins of hostility between Somalia and Ethiopia to this war . Some scholars also argue that this conflict proved , through their use on both sides , the value of firearms such as the matchlock musket , cannon s and the arquebus over traditional weapons . At the turn of the 20th century , the Majeerteen Sultanate , Sultanate of Hobyo , Warsangali Sultanate and Dervish State employed cavalry in their battles against the imperialist European powers during the " Campaign of the Sultanates " . In Italian Somaliland , eight " Arab - Somali " infantry battalion s , the " Ascari " , and several irregular units of Italian officered " dubats " were established . These units served as frontier guards and police . There were also Somali artillery and zaptié ( " carabinieri " ) units forming part of the Italian Royal Corps of Colonial Troops from 1889 to 1941 . In 1914 , the Somaliland Camel Corps was formed in the British Somaliland protectorate and saw service before , during , and after the Italian invasion of the territory during World War II . 1960 to 1991 . Just prior to independence in 1960 , the Trust Territory of Somalia sought and obtained UN permission to establish a national army to defend the nascent Somali Republic ' s borders . The Somali Police Force ' s Mobile Group ( Darawishta Poliska or Darawishta ) was subsequently formed . April 12 , 1960 has since been marked as " Armed Forces Day " . British Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland , and the Trust Territory of Somalia ( the former Italian Somaliland ) followed suit five days later . On July 1 , 1960 , the two territories united to form the Somali Republic , albeit within boundaries drawn up by Italy and Britain . After independence , the Darawishta merged with the Somaliland Scouts of the former British Somaliland protectorate to form the 5 , 000 strong Somali National Army ( SNA ) . The new military ' s first commander was Colonel Daud Abdullaahi Hersi , a former officer in the British military administration ' s police force , the Somalia Gendarmerie . Officers were trained in Britain , Egypt and Italy . Despite the social and economic benefits associated with military service , the armed forces began to suffer chronic manpower shortages only a few years after independence . Merging the British Somaliland protectorate and the Italian Somaliland colony was rendered more difficult by the fact that the two former territories had hitherto been institutionally managed as separate states . The distribution of power between the two regions and among the major clans in both areas was a bone of contention . In December 1961 , a group of British - trained northern junior army officers revolted after southern officers of higher rank were assigned to command their units . The rebels were subsequently detained by other northern soldiers of NCO rank , although dissatisfaction in the north lingered . The force was expanded and modernized after the rebellion with the assistance of Soviet and Cuban advisors . The Somali National Army was battle - tested in 1964 when the conflict with Ethiopia over the Somali - inhabited Ogaden erupted into warfare . On 16 June 1963 , Somali guerrillas started an insurgency at Hodayo , in eastern Ethiopia , a watering place north of Werder , after Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie rejected their demand for self - government in the Ogaden . The Somali government initially refused to support the guerrilla forces , which eventually numbered about 3 , 000 . However , in January 1964 , after Ethiopia sent reinforcements to the Ogaden , Somali forces launched ground and air attacks across the border and started providing assistance to the guerrillas . The Ethiopian Air Force responded with punitive strikes across its southwestern frontier against Feerfeer , northeast of Beledweyne and Galkayo . On 6 March 1964 , Somalia and Ethiopia agreed to a cease - fire . At the end of the month , the two sides signed an accord in Khartoum , Sudan , agreeing to withdraw their troops from the border , cease hostile propaganda , and start peace negotiations . Somalia also terminated its support of the guerrillas . During the power vacuum that followed the assassination of Somalia ' s second president , Abdirashid Ali Shermarke , the military staged a coup d ' état on 21 October 1969 ( the day after Shermarke ' s funeral ) and took over office . Major General Mohamed Siad Barre , who had succeeded Hersi as Chief of Army in 1965 , was installed as President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council ( SRC ) , the new government of Somalia . The country was renamed the Somali Democratic Republic , and Barre became the spokesman and leader of the new Supreme Revolutionary Council ( SRC ) . In 1971 , he announced the regime ' s intention to phase out military rule . In July 1976 , the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the army consisted of 22 , 000 personnel , 6 tank battalions , 9 mechanised infantry battalions , 5 infantry battalions , 2 commando battalions , and 11 artillery battalions ( 5 anti - aircraft ) . Two hundred T - 34 and 50 T - 54 / 55 main battle tanks had been estimated to have been delivered . The IISS emphasised that ' spares are short and not all equipment is serviceable . ' Three divisions ( the 21st , 54th , and 60th ) were formed , and later took part in the Ogaden War . While the IISS did not list them in July 1976 , there is evidence that they were formed as early as 1970 or earlier : Mohamud Muse Hersi has been listed by somaliaonline . com as commander of the 21st Division from 1970 to 1972 . Under the leadership of General Abdullah Mohamed Fadil , Abdullahi Ahmed Irro and other senior Somali military officials were mandated by Barre ' s government in 1977 with formulating a national strategy in preparation for the Ogaden campaign in Ethiopia . This was part of a broader effort to unite all of the Somali - inhabited territories in the Horn region into a Greater Somalia ( " Soomaaliweyn " ) . At the start of the offensive , the SNA consisted of 35 , 000 soldiers , and was vastly outnumbered by the Ethiopian forces . Somali national army troops seized the Godey Front on July 24 , 1977 , after the SNA ' s 60th Division brigades defeated the 4th Ethiopian Infantry Division . Godey ' s capture allowed the Somali side to consolidate its hold on the Ogaden , concentrate its forces , and advance further to other regions of Ethiopia . The invasion reached an abrupt end with the Soviet Union ' s sudden shift of support to Ethiopia , followed by almost the entire communist world siding with the latter . The Soviets halted their previous supplies to Barre ' s regime and increased the distribution of aid , weapons , and training to Ethiopia ' s newly - communist Derg regime . General Vasily Ivanovich Petrov was assigned to restructure the Ethiopian Army . The Soviets also brought in around 15 , 000 Cuban troops to assist the Ethiopian military . By 1978 , the Somali forces were pushed out of most of the Ogaden , although it would take nearly three more years for the Ethiopian Army to gain full control of Godey . Following the 1977 - 78 Ogaden campaign , Caabud - Waaq became the base for the SNA ' s 21st Division . The shift in support by the Soviet Union would ultimately motivate the Barre regime to seek allies elsewhere . It eventually settled on Russia ' s Cold War arch - rival , the United States , which had been courting the Somali government for some time . The U . S . eventually gave extensive military support . By 1987 the U . S . Defense Intelligence Agency estimated the army was 40 , 000 strong ( with Ethiopian army strength estimated at the same time as 260 , 000 ) . The President , Mohamed Siad Barre , held the rank of Major General and acted as Minister of Defence . There were three vice - ministers of national defence . From the SNA headquarters in Mogadishu four sectors were directed : 26th Sector at Hargeisa , 54th Sector at Garowe , 21st Sector at Dusa Mareb , and 60th Sector at Baidoa . Thirteen divisions , averaging 3 , 300 strong , were divided between the four sectors - four in the northernmost and three in each of the other sectors . The sectors were under the command of brigadiers ( three ) and a colonel ( one ) . In 1984 , the government attempted to solve the manpower shortage problem by instituting obligatory military service . Men of eighteen to forty years of age were to be conscripted for two years . Opposition to conscription and to the counterinsurgency campaigns against guerrilla groups resulted in widespread evasion of military service . As a result , during the late 1980s the government normally met manpower requirements by impressing men into military service . This practice alienated an increasing number of Somalis who wanted the government to negotiate a peaceful resolution of the conflicts that were slowly destroying Somali society . Traditionally , the Siad Barre regime had followed a policy of mixing recruits from different parts of the country in order to cultivate nationalism among the soldiers . However , as the ongoing counterinsurgencies further isolated the regime , members of Siad Barre ' s subclan , the Mareehaan , increasingly dominated senior military positions . As a result , by 1990 many Somalis looked upon the armed forces as Siad Barre ' s personal army . This perception eventually destroyed the military ' s reputation as a national institution . This increase in military strength coincided with a consolidated effort by various clan - based rebel groups in the country — most notably the Somali Salvation Democratic Front led by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed , a decorated war hero and former colonel in the army , the Isaaq - led Somali National Movement ( SNM ) , and General Mohamed Farah Aidid ' s United Somali Congress — to destabilize the Barre regime . Human Rights Watch reported in September 1990 : Rebel forces briefly occupied Galkayo in mid November , 1989 . They are said to have captured much military equipment at the 4th Division Headquarters , including 30 mobile anti - aircraft guns , rocket launchers and tanks . They were unable to take most of this equipment and burned it . Subsequently , government troops undertook massive reprisals against civilians living in the regions of the 54th , 21st , 60th and 77th military sectors . The towns and villages affected include Dagaari , Sadle - Higlo , Bandiir Adley , Galinsor , Wargalo , Do ' ol , Gowlalo , Halimo , Go ' ondalay and Galkayo town which is the regional capital of Mudug . The various rebel movements eventually succeeding in ousting the government altogether in the ensuing Somali Civil War that broke out in 1991 . The Somali Armed Forces subsequently ' ceased to exist ' , and various local faction leaders began competing for influence in the power vacuum that followed . In 1992 , the 15 - member Security Council imposed an arms embargo via United Nations Security Council Resolution 733 in order to stop the flow of weapons to feuding militia groups . Transitional period . From 2004 – 2004 , Ismail Qasim Naji served as the military chief of the Transitional National Government ( TNG ) . He was given the rank of Major General . During this time , the TNG was opposed militarily and politically by the rival Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council ( SRRC ) , backed by Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid ( son of the late faction leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid ) , Mohamed Dhere , and others . Eventually the leadership of the SRRC and the TNG reconciled . In October 2004 , a new Transitional Federal Government ( TFG ) was formed in exile in Nairobi , Kenya . Led by former President of Puntland Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed , who had since been elected President of Somalia , it included among its mandates the re - establishment of Somalia ' s armed forces . He subsequently dispatched many soldiers from the Puntland military to the south ' in order to support Abdullahi Yusuf ’ s fight for power in Mogadishu and environs ' . The IISS Military Balance 2006 said that the transitional government ' . . with an estimated 5 , 000 troops . . only controls northern Mogadishu , ' though the TFG ' s base for a period was actually in Baidoa . On 5 September 2006 , an agreement between the TFG and the Islamic Courts Union ( ICU ) to build a national military was reached " in principle " . However , in practice , political disagreements scuttled talks scheduled for 30 October in Khartoum , Sudan . After the ICU ' s defeat in December 2006 – January 2007 , a separate pact was reached between the government and several faction leaders for the disarmament of the militias . On 20 January 2007 , with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1744 , the African Union Mission in Somalia ( AMISOM ) was formally authorised , which would provide much - needed backing for central government forces . On 10 February 2007 , Abdullahi Ali Omar became Chief of Army for the Transitional Federal Government . He had previously been the Chief of Staff of the armed forces of Puntland . 700 Ugandan troops , earmarked for AMISOM , were landed at Mogadishu airport on 7 – 8 March 2007 . In December 2008 , the International Crisis Group reported : Yusuf has built a largely subservient and loyal apparatus by putting his fellow Majerteen clansmen in strategic positions . The National Security Agency ( NSA ) under General Mohamed Warsame ( “ Darwish ” ) and the so - called “ Majerteen militia ” units in the TFG army operate in parallel and often above other security agencies . Their exact number is hard to ascertain , but estimates suggest about 2 , 000 . They are well catered for , well armed and often carry out counter - insurgency operations with little or no coordination with other security agencies . In the short term , this strategy may appear effective for the president , who can unilaterally employ the force essentially as he pleases . However , it undermines morale in the security services and is a cause of their high desertion rates . Much of the problem building armed forces was the lack of functioning TFG government institutions : Beyond the endemic internal power struggles , the TFG has faced far more serious problems in establishing its authority and rebuilding the structures of governance . Its writ has never extended much beyond Baidoa . Its control of Mogadishu is ever more contested , and it is largely under siege in the rest of the country . There are no properly functioning government institutions . Also in December 2008 , Human Rights Watch described the Somali National Army as the ' TFG ' s largely theoretical professional military force . ' It said that ' where trained TFG military forces appear , ' they were identified by their victims as Ethiopian - trained forces , often acting in concert with ENDF ( Ethiopian National Defense Force ) forces or under the command of ENDF officers . ' HRW also said that ' Human Rights Watch ' s own research has uncovered a pattern of violent abuses by TFG forces including widespread acts of murder , rape , looting , assault , arbitrary arrest and detention , and torture . Those responsible include police , military , and intelligence personnel as well as the personal militias of high - ranking TFG officials . ' HRW went on to say : ' The TFG has deployed a confusing array of security forces and armed militias to act on its behalf . Victims of the widespread abuses in which these forces have been implicated often have trouble identifying whether their attackers were TFG police officers , other TFG security personnel , or militias linked to TFG officials . Furthermore , formal command - and - control structures are to a large degree illusory . TFG security forces often wear multiple hats , acting on orders from their formal superiors one day , as clan militias another day , and as autonomous self - interested armed groups the next . ' Al - Shabaab and other radical elements of the ICU subsequently regrouped and continued their insurgency . As a truce in March 2009 , Somalia ' s coalition government led by Sharif Sheikh Ahmed announced that it would re - implement shari ' a as the nation ' s official judicial system . However , conflict continued in the southern and central parts of the country . Within months , the coalition government had gone from holding about 70 % of south - central Somalia ' s conflict zones , territory which it had inherited from the previous Yusuf administration , to losing control of over 80 % of the disputed territory to the Islamist insurgents . In April 2009 , various international donors at a UN - sponsored conference pledged over $ 250 million to help improve security in the country . The funds were earmarked for AMISOM and supporting Somalia ' s security , including the build - up of a security force of 6 , 000 members as well as an augmented police force of 10 , 000 men . In June 2009 , the Somali military received 40 tonnes worth of arms and ammunition from the U . S . government to assist it in combating the insurgency . In November 2010 , a new technocratic government was elected to office , which enacted numerous reforms . Among these , in its first 50 days in office , the new administration completed its first monthly payment of stipends to government soldiers , and initiated the implementation of a full biometric register for the security forces within a window of four months . By August 2011 , the new government and its AMISOM allies had managed to capture all of Mogadishu from the Al - Shabaab militants . In October 2011 , following a weekend preparatory meeting between Somali and Kenyan military officials in the town of Dhobley , a coordinated operation between the Somali Armed Forces and the Kenya Defence Forces began against the Al - Shabaab group of insurgents in southern Somalia . The mission was officially led by the Somali army , with the Kenyan forces providing a support role . In early June 2012 , Kenyan troops were formally integrated into AMISOM . According to China Daily , regional analysts expected the additional AU troop reinforcements to help the Somali authorities gradually expand their territorial control . In February 2012 , Somali forces fighting alongside AMISOM seized Baidoa from al - Shabaab . In March , Somali and African Union forces pushed al - Shabaab from its last strongholds in Mogadishu and captured El Bur . In May , al - Shabaab lost the cities of Afgoye and Afmadow . On June 26 , 2012 , the capture of Balad was reported by sabahionline . com . The same story named Major General Abdullahi Ali Anood , as the commander of the first battalion of the Somali army . Federal period . The Federal Government of Somalia was established in August / September 2012 . By November of the year , the new administration had , according to UN Special Envoy to Somalia Augustine Mahiga , managed to secure control of around 85 % of the country . At the behest of the Somali federal government , the United Nations Security Council later unanimously approved United Nations Security Council Resolution 2093 during its 6 March 2013 meeting to suspend the 21 - year arms embargo on Somalia . The endorsement officially lifts the purchase ban on light weapons for a provisional period of one year , but retains certain restrictions on the procurement of heavy arms such as surface - to - air missiles , howitzers and cannons . On 13 March 2013 , Dahir Adan Elmi was appointed Chief of Army at a transfer ceremony in Mogadishu , where he replaced Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini . Abdirisaq Khalif Hussein was appointed as Elmi ' s new Deputy Chief of Army . Somali National Army . As of 1 June 1989 , the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated that the Army comprised four corps and 12 division headquarters . At the time , the military had decreased considerably in size . The IISS noted that these formations ' were in name only ; below establishment in units , men , and equipment . Brigades were of battalion size . ' Other units and formations listed included four tank brigades , 45 mechanized and infantry brigades , 4 commando brigades , 1 surface - to - air missile brigade , 3 field artillery brigades , 30 field artillery battalions , and one air defence artillery battalion . Equipment 1981 . The following were the Somali National Army ' s major weapons in 1981 : Equipment 1989 . Previous arms acquisitions included the following equipment , much of which was unserviceable ca . June 1989 : 293 main battle tanks ( 30 Centurion from Kuwait , said the SIPRI Arms Trade Register in 2012 ) , 123 M47 Patton , 30 T - 34 , 110 T - 54 / 55 ) ( from various sources , said the SIPRI Arms Trade Register accessed in 2012 ) . Other armoured fighting vehicles included 10 M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks , 30 BRDM - 2 and 15 Panhard AML - 90 armored cars ( formerly owned by Saudi Arabia , said the SIPRI Arms Trade Register accessed in 2012 ) . The IISS estimated in 1989 that there were 474 armoured personnel carrier s , including 64 BTR - 40 / BTR - 50 / BTR - 60 , 100 BTR - 152 wheeled armored personnel carriers , 310 Fiat 6614 and 6616s , and that BMR - 600 s had been reported . The IISS estimated that there wer 210 towed artillery pieces ( 8 M - 1944 100mm , 100 M - 56 105mm , 84 M - 1938 122mm , and 18 M198 155 mm towed howitzers . Other equipment reported by the IISS included 82mm and 120mm mortars , 100 Milan and BGM - 71 TOW anti - tank guided missiles , rocket launchers , recoilless rifles , and a variety of Soviet air defence guns of 20mm , 23mm , 37mm , 40mm , 57mm , and 100mm calibre . As of 1 June 1989 , the IISS also estimated that Somali army surface - to - air defense equipment included 40 SA - 2 Guideline missiles ( operational status uncertain ) , 10 SA - 3 Goa , and 20 SA - 7 surface - to - air missiles . Military exercises between the United States and the Siad Barre regime continued during the 1980s . The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit participated in Exercise Eastern Wind in August 1987 in the area of Geesalay . The outbreak of the civil war in 1991 meant that the Somali National Army ' ceased to exist ' . Much equipment was left " in situ " , deteriorating , and was sometimes discovered and photographed by intervention forces in the early 1990s . Rebuilding the Army . In November 2009 , the European Union announced its intention to train 2 Somali battalion s ( around 2 , 000 troops ) , which would complement other training missions and bring the total number of better - trained Somalian soldiers to 6 , 000 . The 2 battalion s are expected to be ready by August 2011 . On 21 April 2011 , 1 , 000 recruits completed training in Uganda as a part of the agreement with the EU . In May 2010 , Turkey and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia also signed a military training agreement , in keeping with the provisions outlined in the Djibouti Peace Process . In a report dated February 2011 , the International Crisis Group said : Powerful vested interests and corrupt commanders are still the biggest obstacles to [ army ] reform . Efforts to provide the army with better equipment have been sluggish and dogged by allegations some is sold by officers . Attempts led by AMISOM to develop a coherent structure for the disparate militias and whip their estimated 8 , 000 members into fighting form have been problematic . There remains resistance to creation of an effective chain of command , rational military formations and even a credible troop roster . The respected former army chief , General Gelle , tried to improve things but was marginalised , then dismissed . As part of the EU military training program , 900 Somali soldiers graduated from the Bihanga Military Training School in the Ibanda District of Uganda on 31 August 2011 . 150 personnel from the EU took part in the training process , which trained around 2 , 000 Somali troops per year . On 16 September 2011 , President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed laid down the foundation for a new military camp for the Somali National Army ( SNA ) in the Jazeera District of Mogadishu . The $ 3 . 2 million construction project was funded by the EU and was expected to take six months to complete . In February 2012 , Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and Italian Defence Minister Gianpaolo Di Paola agreed that Italy would assist the Somali military as part of the National Security and Stabilization Plan ( NSSP ) , an initiative designed to strengthen and professionalize the national security forces . The agreement would include training soldiers and rebuilding the Somali army . In November 2012 , the Somali federal authorities issued an official request to the UN Security Council for assistance in recovering public assets and funds that were being held abroad . The state properties had been frozen by foreign administrations , institutions and firms after the collapse of Somalia ' s central government in 1991 in order to prevent unauthorized use . In January 2013 , Somalia ' s reconstituted Cabinet began a formal assessment and recovery process of its assets , which include ships and planes that are believed to be held in Italy , Germany and Yemen . As of March 2013 , the Somali National Army reportedly consists of six trained brigade s , two of which are presently deployed . Each brigade comprises three to six battalion s of around 1000 soldiers each , or 18 , 000 to 36 , 000 troops in total . Of these , an estimated 6 , 000 to 12 , 000 soldiers are currently in service . Special Force . In August 2011 , the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia announced the creation of a new Special Force . Consisting of 300 trained soldiers , the unit was initially mandated with protecting relief shipments and distribution centers in Mogadishu . Besides helping to stabilize the city , the new protection force is also tasked with combating banditry and other vices . National Intelligence and Security Agency . The National Intelligence and Security Agency ( NISA ) is the national intelligence agency of the Federal Republic of Somalia . It was officially established in January 2013 by the new Somali federal government in place of the defunct National Security Service ( NSS ) . Headquartered in Mogadishu , NISA is mandated with firming up on security . It is assisted in this capacity by AMISOM . According to the former Minister of State for the Presidency Abdulkadir Moallin Noor , the CIA also provided training to NISA officials during the latter agency ' s formative stages . Among other deployments , NISA agents have conducted security operations against Al - Shabaab elements in the capital . Somali Air Force . The Somali Air Force ( SAF ) , also known as the Somali Air Corps ( SAC ) , was originally established with Italian aid in the early 1960s . It emerged from the Italian " Corpo di Sicurezza della Somalia " , which existed between 1950 and 1960 , during the trusteeship period just prior to independence . The most important pieces of the SAF ' s original equipment were eight North American F - 51D Mustang s , Douglas C - 47 s and MiG 23s , which remained in service until 1968 . The SAF operated most of its aircraft from bases near Mogadishu , Hargeisa and Galkayo . Its mission was to support armed forces during wartime . The outbreak of the civil war in 1991 meant that the Somali air force ' ceased to exist ' . In the 2000s , the central government began the process of rebuilding the Air Force . Equipment . The following was the Somali Air Force ' s major equipment in 1981 : New Air Force . In February 2012 , Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and Italian Defence Minister Gianpaolo Di Paola agreed that Italy would assist the Somali military as part of the National Security and Stabilization Plan , including revitalizing the Somali Air Force . On October 29 , 2012 , 40 senior SAF and Somali National Army officers participated in the three - day Improving Understanding and Compliance with International Humanitarian Law ( IHL ) workshop in Djibouti . Organized by AMISOM as part of the Somali Armed Forces ' National Security Stabilization Plan , the program offered a refresher course on the essentials of IHL . Officials from Somalia ' s Ministry of Defence also took part , with the Djibouti Chief of Defence Forces opening the workshop . Somali Navy . The Somali Navy was formed after independence in 1960 . Prior to 1991 , it participated in several joint exercises with the United States , Great Britain and Canada . It subsequently ' ceased to exist ' following the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia during that year . In the 2000s , the central government began the process of re - establishing the Somali Navy . Equipment . The following was the Somali Navy ' s major equipment in 1981 : New Navy . In June 2009 , Somali naval forces were re - established with a new commander appointed , Admiral Farah Omar Ahmed . Up to 500 marines were training in Mogadishu with their training expected to finish in December 2009 . They were the first batch of an expected 5000 strong navy force . In 2011 , a visiting Somali delegation to Turkey tabled a request for two search - and - rescue ships and six coast guard boats . Worth some 250 million euros , the gesture was intended to turn the new Somali navy into a stronger naval force capable of curbing piracy and protecting its coastline . Following a Transitional Federal Government - Puntland cooperative agreement in August 2011 calling for the creation of a Somali Marine Force , of which the already established Puntland Maritime Police Force ( PMPF ) would form a part , the Puntland administration resumed training of PMPF naval officials . On June 30 , 2012 , UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash announced that his administration would contribute $ 1 million toward enhancing Somalia ' s naval security capacity . The funds would enable the Somali authorities in collaboration with international partners to acquire the boats , equipment and communication gear necessary for the rebuilding of the coast guard . A central operations naval command was also slated to be set up in Mogadishu . On August 7 , 2012 , Prime Minister Ali announced that his government was set to re - establish the Somali Navy . Speaking to reporters in the capital , the Premier indicated that his administration wanted to create a well - trained national marine force capable of efficiently patrolling Somalia ' s territorial waters and putting an end to the illegal plunder of the country ' s resources by foreign companies and nations . He also indicated that he had asked the international community to support the Somali government ' s extant efforts aimed at developing its maritime defensive capacity , including the possibility of acquiring speed boats and warships to more effectively secure the country ' s extensive seaboard . Somali Police Force . History . In 1960 , the British Somaliland Scouts joined with the Police Corps of Somalia to form a new Somali Police Force , which consisted of about 3 , 700 men . The authorities also organized approximately 1 , 000 of the force as the " Darawishta Poliska " , a mobile group used to keep peace between warring clans in the interior . Since then , the government has considered the SPF a part of the armed forces . It was not a branch of the SNA , however , and did not operate under the army ' s command structure . Until its dissolution in 1976 , the Ministry of Interior oversaw the force ' s national commandant and his central command . After that date , the SPF came under the control of the presidential adviser on security affairs . New Police Force . The first police academy to be built in Somalia for several years opened on 20 December 2005 at Armo , 100 kilometres south of Bosaso . The Somali police also has a criminal investigations department in Mogadishu . The United Nations Secretary General reported on 31 January 2013 that : The United Nations continued to support the activities of the Somali Police Force , including the formulation of a strategic development plan . UNPOS facilitated the procurement of equipment and furniture for 10 police stations in Mogadishu and police headquarters and provided training to 38 Somali Police Force drivers and 5 fleet managers . UNDP continued to pay police stipends to 5 , 388 Somali Police Force officers on duty in Mogadishu , Baidoa and Galmudug , courtesy of the Government of Japan and the European Union . A total of 4 , 463 Somali Police Force officers were registered in Mogadishu using the biometric registration system , completing the registration for the capital . Leadership . According to the constitution , the President of Somalia serves as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces . Following the counsel of the Cabinet , he or she has the power to appoint and dismiss the federal - level military commanders . He or she may also declare a state of emergency and war where necessary , in conformance with the law . Military ranks 1977 . As of 1977 , Somalia ' s army ranks were as follows :