Security forces
Commanders of the Somali army since 1960 (Taliyaha Ciidanka Xoogga)
The head of Somalia's armed forces has been called commander-in-chief (1960–1991), chief of army (2005–2012) and chief of staff or commander of the national army (since 2013). The first was General Daud Abdulle Hirsi, from 12 April 1960. Siad Barre held the post from 1965 to 1969 and Mohamed Ali Samatar from 1969 to 1990. Since 2005 the post has changed hands more than twenty times. On 29 January 2026 the cabinet named Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud to the post.
In short
The commander of the armed forces is the professional head of the Somali National Army and, in principle, of the air force and navy. The president appoints the commander, and every holder so far has come from the army (Wikipedia, Chief of Defence Force (Somalia)). This page lists them with their dates.
The Republic and the military government, 1960–1991
Title: commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
| Commander | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daud Abdulle Hirsi | Major general | 12 April 1960 | 1965 (died in office) |
| Siad Barre | Major general | 1965 | 1969 |
| Mohamed Ali Samatar | Lieutenant general | 1969 | 1990 |
| Mohamed Said Hersi Morgan | Major general | 25 November 1990 | 20 January 1991 |
(Wikipedia, citing Harold Nelson's Library of Congress country study, Somalia: a country study, 1982, and other sources.) Siad Barre took power as army commander in October 1969; see The Siad Barre era. The national army broke up with the fall of his government in January 1991.
The transitional government, 2005–2013
Title: chief of army. After 1991 there was no national army until the Transitional Federal Government began to build one.
| Commander | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Ismail Qasim Naji | 15 April 2005 | 10 February 2007 |
| Abdullahi Ali Omar | 10 February 2007 | 21 July 2007 |
| Salah Hassan Jama | 21 July 2007 | 11 June 2008 |
| Said Dheere Mohamed | 11 June 2008 | 14 May 2009 |
| Yusuf Osman Dhumal | 15 May 2009 | 6 December 2009 |
| Mohamed Gelle Kahiye | 6 December 2009 | 6 September 2010 |
| Ahmed Jimale Gedi | 6 September 2010 | 29 March 2011 |
| Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini | 29 March 2011 | 13 March 2013 |
All held the rank of major general (Wikipedia, citing Al Jazeera, 14 April 2005, Shabelle Media, Hiiraan Online and Reuters, 2009).
The federal government, 2013–now
Title: chief of staff of the armed forces, or commander of the Somali National Army.
| Commander | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Dahir Adan Elmi | 13 March 2013 | 25 June 2014 |
| Abdullahi Anod | 25 June 2014 | 24 September 2015 |
| Mohamed Adam Ahmed | 24 September 2015 | 5 April 2017 |
| Ahmed Mohamed Jimale | 5 April 2017 | 12 October 2017 |
| Abdiweli Jama Hussein Gorod | 12 October 2017 | 16 August 2018 |
| Dahir Adan Elmi (second term) | 16 August 2018 | 27 August 2020 |
| Odowaa Yusuf Rageh | 27 August 2020 | 19 June 2023 |
| Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow | 19 June 2023 | 9 November 2024 |
| Odowaa Yusuf Rageh (second term) | 9 November 2024 | 29 January 2026 |
| Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud | 29 January 2026 | — |
(Wikipedia, citing Shabelle Media, VOA, Goobjoog, SONNA and others.)
Recent changes. In November 2024 the cabinet, at an emergency meeting, dismissed Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin Addow and brought back Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, who had led operations against al-Shabaab from 2020 to 2023; the prime minister's office said the aim was to "speed up the defense of the country" (Mohamed Dhaysane, Anadolu Agency, 11 November 2024). On 29 January 2026 the cabinet dismissed Odowaa and unanimously endorsed Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, a graduate of a Turkish military academy who had led the army's General Support Command since 2024, according to Information Minister Daud Aweis (Anadolu Agency via A News, 29 January 2026).
Sources differ
- Odowaa's first term. Wikipedia's text dates it from 22 August 2019; its table gives 27 August 2020.
- Rank. The post is usually held by a major general; the commander appointed in 2026 was a brigadier general.
- Titles. The same post has been called commander-in-chief, chief of army, chief of defence force and commander of the national army.
Read the primary sources yourself
Sources
- Wikipedia, Chief of Defence Force (Somalia) · en.wikipedia.org
- Mohamed Dhaysane, Anadolu Agency, 11 November 2024 · aa.com.tr
- Anadolu Agency via A News, 29 January 2026 · anews.com.tr
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