The Somaliland National Armed Forces (; ) are the military services of the

Republic of Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south and west, and Somal ...

. The Somaliland National Armed Forces consist of the Somaliland National Army, the Somaliland Coast Guard, the Somaliland Police Force, the Somaliland Custodial Corps, the Somaliland Immigration and Border Control and the Somaliland Fire Brigade. The Armed Forces is under the command of President

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (, ; born 24 April 1956), colloquially known as Irro (), is a Somaliland politician and diplomat who has been the 6th and current President of Somaliland since 12 December 2024. Abdirahman served as speaker of t ...

, who is the Commander-in-chief.

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

Dr. Rooble Muuse Abdi is the designated minister that oversees the armed forces. The total strength of the Somaliland armed forces in recent estimates have put the number of active duty personnel between 8,000 and 13,000. There are fewer than 9,000 men and women working for the Somaliland police force overall. The Special Police Unit (SPU), which protects foreign organizations and individuals who work for them, and the Rapid Response Units (RRU), which are specialized counterterrorism forces, are both housed inside the police force. Somaliland has 7 defender class boats and 1

coast guard A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...

vessels in its coast guard, and The coast guard of Somaliland numbers a few hundred in personnel. Somaliland spends $115 million budget on its armed forces, its largest government expenditure. Due to a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

arms embargo on

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, the state is not allowed to procure weapons.

History

Protectorate period

In 1914, the

Somaliland Camel Corps The Somaliland Camel Corps (SCC) was a British Colonial Auxiliary Forces unit which was raised in British Somaliland. It existed from 1914 until 1944. Beginnings and the Dervish rebellion In 1888, after signing successive treaties with the the ...

was formed in

British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate (), was a protectorate of the United Kingdom in modern Somaliland. It was bordered by Italian Somalia, French Somali Coast and Ethiopian Empire, Abyssinia (Italian Ethiopia from 1936 ...

and saw service before, during, and after the Italian invasion of the territory during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1942, the

Somaliland Scouts The Somaliland Scouts was a Rayid military unit, a regiment, of the British Army. It was established after the liberation of British Somaliland from Italy in December 1941 and the dissolution of the Somaliland Camel Corps in 1942, which was forme ...

were tasked with defending the reserve.

Independence and Union with Somalia

Somaliland became independent on 26 June 1960 as the

State of Somaliland Somaliland, officially the State of Somaliland (), was an independent country in the territory of the present-day unilaterally declared Republic of Somaliland, which regards itself as its legal successor. It existed on the territory of former ...

, and the

Trust Territory of Somalia The Trust Territory of Somaliland, officially the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration (), was a United Nations Trust Territory from 1950 to 1960, following the dissolution of the former British Military Administration. I ...

(the former Italian Somaliland) followed suit five days later. On 1 July 1960, the two territories united to form the

Somali Republic The Somali Republic (; ; ) was formed by the union of the Trust Territory of Somaliland (formerly Italian Somaliland) and the State of Somaliland (formerly British Somaliland). A government was formed by Abdullahi Issa Mohamud and Muhammad ...

. After independence, the

merged with the former Dervishes to form the 5,000 strong Somali National Army.

War of Independence

In 1981, the

Somali National Movement The Somali National Movement (, ) was one of the first and most important Guerrilla warfare, organized guerilla groups and Mujahideen groups that opposed the Siad Barre regime in the 1980s to the 1990s, as well as being the main anti-government f ...

was one of the first rebel groups to form in the country. Then Somali dictator

Siad Barre Mohammed Siad Barre (, Osmanya script: , ''Muhammad Ziād Barīy''; 6 October 1919 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali military officer, politician, and revolutionary who served as the third president of Somalia from 21 October 1969 to 26 Janu ...

accused them of being separatist groups and ordered the

extermination Extermination or exterminate may refer to: * Pest control, elimination of insects or vermin * Extermination (crime), the killing of human on a large scale * Genocide, at least one of five "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in par ...

of the

Isaaq The Isaaq (, , ''Banu Ishaq'') is a major Somali clans, Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend ...

tribe, to which the rebel group belonged. The movement fought a guerrilla war in the northwest of the country with the aim of overthrowing and replacing the military government. After the dictator's defeat and special developments in 1991, the Somali sultans decided to abolish unity in 1960 and declared Somaliland an independent state.

Restoration of sovereignty

In 1991, after Somaliland reasserted its

sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...

, the new

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

faced great problems with armed groups and armed clans, who were boycotting roads to earn a living. The new government launched the Somaliland peace process jointly with the

. The communities in Somaliland negotiated what led to the Great Reconciliation Conference in Borama in 1993 which allowed the transfer of power from the Somali National Movement. An interim government for a new civil administration, paving the way for democratic governance and stability. After a civilian government led by

Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal (, ; August 15, 1928 – May 3, 2002) was a Somali politician who served as the president of Somaliland from 1993 to his death in 2002. He previously served as the prime minister of the State of Somaliland between 26 ...

disarmed armed clans and armed groups and recruited armed forces from all over

Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...

. The Armed Forces of Somaliland was officially established on 2 February 1994.

Border War

In 1998 Puntland State of Somalia claimed Somaliland territory on the basis of clan kinship with some Somaliland communities in the eastern regions of Sool and

Sanaag Sanag (, ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north eastern Somaliland.Regions of Somalia
Sa ...

. Which led to tribal and armed conflicts, as a result, The armed forces of Somaliland withdrew from some cities in the eastern regions to avoid casualties until 2007 when the Somaliland communities in the eastern regions demanded that they intervene.

Commanders

The Chief of the General Staff ( Somali: ''Taliyaha Guud ee Ciidanka'') is the head of the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

and the highest ranking officer of the Somaliland Armed Forces. He is appointed by the

President of Somaliland The president of the Republic of Somaliland (; ) is the head of state and head of government of Somaliland. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Somaliland Armed Forces. The president represents the Government of Somaliland. The f ...

, who holds the position of Commander-in-Chief and the head of the Somaliland Armed Forces. The current Chief of the General Staff is Major general Nimcaan Yusuf Osman (''Gaaxnuug'').

Army

Personnel

The Somaliland army has long operated without a formal rank structure. However, in December 2012, Somaliland defense ministry announced that a

chain of command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. Military chain of command In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders ...

had been developed and which was implemented in January 2013.

Equipment

When the former Somali dictator

was ousted in 1991, Somaliland inherited the military equipment, hardware and facilities that was left behind by the previous

Somali Democratic Republic The Somali Democratic Republic (; , ; ) was a socialist state in Somalia that existed from 1969 to 1991. Established in October 1969, the Somali Democratic Republic emerged following a 1969 Somali coup d'état, coup d'état led by Major General ...

. Due to a

arms embargo on Somalia, which the semi-autonomous Somaliland region is internationally recognized as being a part of, the territory is not allowed to purchase weapons. Consequently, military officials from the region rely on repairing and modifying old equipment. Some also claim that weapons are at times delivered from Ethiopia and

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

via the port of Berbera. Regular Somaliland soldiers have been seen with SKS carbines (for parades) and various versions of the

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...

Vehicles and Equipment

Commemoration of the 27th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Somaliland National Army

* Tanks ** T-55A (Main Battle Tank) ** T-54B (Main Battle Tank) **

T-72B The T-72 is a Soviet Union, Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1973. It replaced the T-54/55 series as the workhorse of Soviet tank forces (while the T-64 and T-80 served as the Soviet high-technology tanks). In front-lin ...

(Main Battle Tank) * Armoured Personnel Carriers **

Fiat 6614 The Fiat CM6614 is a 4x4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed as a joint venture between Fiat and Oto Melara of Italy. The hull is welded steel, and the vehicle is amphibious. The first prototype was built in 1972. Description The CM6 ...

** Fiat 6616 (Turret - 20mm) * Transport Vehicles ** Iveco LMV (4x4) ** Renault GBC-180 (6×6) ** M939 Truck (6×6) ** Toyota Landcruiser J79 **

Toyota Hilux The , stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...

Nissan Frontier The Nissan Frontier is a nameplate used on three different pickup truck models by Nissan: * Nissan Frontier (international), an alternative nameplate for the NP300/Navara on some markets * Nissan Frontier (North America), a rebadged NP300/Navara f ...

** Ford F350 (Armoured Gun Truck) **

Humvee The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of Military light utility vehicle, light, four-wheel drive Military vehicle#Military trucks, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It ...

* Aircraft ** Ilyushin Il-103 (Military Trainer Aircraft) * Self-Propelled Artillery **

BM-21 Grad The BM-21 "Grad" () is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-S ...

(Multiple Rocket Launcher - 122mm) **

(Multiple Rocket Launcher) **

Type 63 multiple rocket launcher The Type 63 multiple rocket launcher is a towed, 12-tube, 107mm rocket launcher produced by the People's Republic of China in the early 1960s and later exported and manufactured globally. Although no longer serving with active infantry units, the ...

(107mm) ** Toyota mounted 4-barrel (122mm-multiple rocket launcher) *Towed Artillery ** D-44 (Artillery - 85mm) ** M101(Artillery - 105mm) ** D-30 (Artillery - 122mm) ** D-74 (Artillery - 122mm) ** M-46 (Artillery - 130mm) * Mortar ** M-224 (Mortar - 60mm) ** M1938 (Mortar - 120mm) * Anti-Aircraft Gun *

ZU-23-2 The ZU-23-2, also known as ZU-23, is a Soviet towed 23×152mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon. ZU stands for ''Zenitnaya Ustanovka'' (Russian: Зенитная Установка) – anti-aircraft mount. The GRAU index is 2A13. Develo ...

(Twin-barrelled anti-aircraft gun - 23mm) *

ZPU-4 The ZPU (, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft guns based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide. ...

(Quad-barrelled anti-aircraft gun - 14.5mm)

Coast Guard

The Somaliland Coast Guard () was formed in 2009. The headquarters is located in the coastal town of

Berbera Berbera (; , ) is the capital of the Sahil, Somaliland, Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country, located approximately 160 km from the national capital, Hargeisa. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of t ...

; a diving center run by foreign divers who train the Somaliland coast guard is also located there. The coast guard operates with small speedboats mounted with guns. Much of this equipment was provided by the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, in an effort to combat piracy. The current commander of the coast guard is Ahmed Hurre Haariye.

Ranks

;Officers ;Enlisted

Gallery

File:Somaliland patrol boat.jpg, Somaliland Patrol Boat of the Somaliland Coast Guard File:Somaliland Army 1.jpg, Somaliland

T-55 The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet medium tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2 ...

main battle tank File:Somaliland Fiat armored car1.jpg, Somaliland

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

armored car File:Scenes from Somaliland Independence Day (29324245600).jpg, Somaliland

Footnotes

British government funded Somaliland Security Programme

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Somaliland Armed Forces Military in Somaliland 1993 establishments in Somaliland Military units and formations established in 1993 Factions in the Somali Civil War