# Djibouti's military in Somalia since 2011

> Djibouti's military role in Somalia: its first AMISOM troops in December 2011, its sector around Beledweyne in Hiiraan, battalion rotations, and its place in AUSSOM.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/djibouti-military-in-somalia/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

Djibouti, Somalia's small neighbour to the north-west, has had troops in the AU missions in Somalia since December 2011. It also hosted the Arta conference of 2000 and the Djibouti talks of 2008 (see [Transitional governments, 2000 to 2012](/en/history/transitional-governments-2000-2012/)). This page records what the sources report about its forces. It is part of [Foreign forces in Somalia](/en/institutions/foreign-forces-in-somalia/).

## Arrival, December 2011

On 20 December 2011 an advance party of 100 Djiboutian soldiers landed at Mogadishu airport, according to an AMISOM statement, which said "a further 800 troops will follow" within about a week; a Somali security officer had earlier said 200 had arrived. They were to be based at Al Jazeera IV in southern Mogadishu. AMISOM's deputy commander, Brigadier General Audace Nduwumunsi, called it "a great step forward". With the Burundian and Ugandan forces already there, numbering 9,800, the deployment was to bring [AMISOM](/en/institutions/amisom/) to 10,700. [Al-Shabaab](/en/history/al-shabaab/) said the Djiboutian soldiers would be "ineffective" ([AFP via Terra Daily, 20 December 2011](https://www.terradaily.com/reports/First_Djibouti_troops_join_AU_Somalia_force_999.html)). The *Long War Journal* reported "over 200" troops that day ([*Long War Journal*, 20 December 2011](https://longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/12/200_troops_from_djibouti_arriv.php)).

## Hiiraan and Galgaduud

Djibouti's contingent later moved to [Hiiraan](/en/regions/hiiraan/), where Wikipedia shows it on patrol at Beledweyne and firing on al-Shabaab near Bulo Burde. Wikipedia records its area as Hiiraan and [Galgaduud](/en/regions/galgaduud/) ([Wikipedia, Djibouti Armed Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti_Armed_Forces)). AMISOM listed Djibouti's contingent at 960 troops (see [AMISOM](/en/institutions/amisom/)).

## In AUSSOM

Djibouti was allotted 1,520 troops in the [AUSSOM](/en/institutions/aussom/) mission that began in 2025. In March 2026 its 13th battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Aden Abdullahi, arrived at Beledweyne's Ugaas Khalif airport to replace the 11th battalion under Colonel [Mohamed Omar](/en/people/mohamed-omar-1999/) Said, whose tour had covered Beledweyne, Dhusamareb and Bulo Burde. Part of the new battalion moved on to Bulo Burde. The mission said the outgoing troops had helped take several areas from al-Shabaab in Hiiraan and [Galmudug](/en/states/galmudug/) ([AUSSOM, 16 March 2026](https://au-ssom.org/djiboutis-battalion-13-deploys-to-somalia-under-aussom/)). See [State forces of Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West](/en/institutions/state-forces-galmudug-hirshabelle-south-west/).

## Sources differ

- **First arrivals, 20 December 2011.** 100 (AMISOM statement), 200 (a Somali security officer) or over 200 (*Long War Journal*).
- **Size of the contingent.** About 900 planned in 2011 (AMISOM); 960 in AMISOM's listing; 1,520 allotted in AUSSOM; Wikipedia's infobox gives a larger figure of 3,500 under [ATMIS](/en/institutions/atmis/).

## Read the primary sources yourself

- AFP via Terra Daily, "First Djibouti troops join [AU Somalia](/en/relations/african-union/) force" (2011): [article](https://www.terradaily.com/reports/First_Djibouti_troops_join_AU_Somalia_force_999.html).
- AUSSOM, "Djibouti's Battalion 13 deploys to Somalia under AUSSOM" (2026): [article](https://au-ssom.org/djiboutis-battalion-13-deploys-to-somalia-under-aussom/).

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