Security forces
Somaliland armed forces (Ciidanka Qaranka Somaliland)
Somaliland's armed forces were formed after the 1993 Borama conference, when the government of Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal brought SNM and clan fighters into a single national force; they were formally set up on 2 February 1994. They include an army of about 8,000 (2019 estimate; the IISS gave about 12,500 in 2024), a coast guard of about 600 and a police force of under 6,000. In 2019 about 35% of Somaliland's budget went on security.
In short
Somaliland declared itself independent in May 1991 (see Somaliland, 1991 to 2026). It has built its own security forces, which are not part of the Somali National Army. Its other public bodies are described in Somaliland's institutions.
How they were formed
In 1991 the main armed force in the north-west was the Somali National Movement, alongside clan militias. After the 1993 Borama conference, the civilian government of Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal disarmed armed groups and recruited new forces from across Somaliland. Wikipedia gives 2 February 1994 as the formal founding date (Wikipedia, Somaliland Armed Forces). Wikipedia draws on a 1999 study of small arms in Somaliland for this period (Forberg and Terlinden, Small Arms in Somaliland, 1999).
Branches and size
- Army. About 8,000, according to its chief of staff in 2019. The IISS Military Balance 2024 gives about 12,500 (Michael Horton, CTC Sentinel, November 2019; Wikipedia).
- Coast guard. Formed in 2009 and based in Berbera, with about 600 personnel. Much of its equipment came from the UK for anti-piracy work (Wikipedia). It watches 528 miles of coast from observation posts, supported by trained coastal monitors with mobile phones (CTC Sentinel, 2019).
- Police. See Somaliland Police Force. Under 6,000 men and women, including a Special Protection Unit created to guard foreign organisations after four foreign aid workers were killed in 2003–2004, and Rapid Response Units for counter-terrorism (same source).
- Custodial corps. Guards prisons (Wikipedia).
There is no air force. Horton records that recruits had to bring their own personal weapon, because of the UN arms embargo on Somalia (CTC Sentinel, 2019).
Money
Horton reported a national budget of about US$233 million in 2019, with roughly 35% going to the security services, police and military (CTC Sentinel, 2019). The UK supports the police; the UK and EU have supported the army and coast guard (same source).
Leaders
The president is commander-in-chief. Wikipedia lists Major General Nimcaan Yusuf Osman as chief of the general staff and Ahmed Hurre Haariye as coast guard commander (Wikipedia).
Countering al-Shabaab
On 29 October 2008 suicide bombers struck Hargeisa, killing 25 people there, in attacks coordinated with bombings in Puntland. Horton describes how Somaliland then formalised a system in which each village has a community leader, often a clan elder, who reports to district officials, making community information the core of its counter-terrorism. Somaliland authorities say at least three al-Shabaab attacks have been stopped since 2008. Horton names the eastern borderlands of Sanaag and Sool as the weakest area (CTC Sentinel, 2019).
Conflicts in the east
Sool and eastern Sanaag are claimed by both Somaliland and Puntland. Wikipedia records that Puntland claimed them from 1998 and that Somaliland forces returned to Las Anod in 2007, saying local communities had asked them to. Later clashes include fighting at Ayn in 2010, the battle of Tukaraq in 2018 and the Las Anod conflict of 2023 (Wikipedia). The people and history of these regions are described in Laascaanood (Las Anod) and Sool and Sanaag.
Sources differ
- Army size. About 8,000 (2019) or about 12,500 (IISS, 2024).
- Spending. Wikipedia gives different budget figures in different places; Horton's 35% share for 2019 is from interviews.
Read the primary sources yourself
Sources
- Wikipedia, Somaliland Armed Forces · en.wikipedia.org
- Forberg and Terlinden, Small Arms in Somaliland, 1999 · bits.de
- Michael Horton, CTC Sentinel, November 2019 · ctc.westpoint.edu
Toosoo!
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Read the callWhere this matters
- Hargeysa (Hargeisa) and Woqooyi GalbeedWoqooyi Galbeed is the north-western region that holds Hargeisa (Hargeysa) and the port of Berbera, with about 1 to 1.45 million people.
- Burco (Burao) and TogdheerTogdheer is the northern region around Burco (Burao), with about 894,874 people including Buuhoodle.
Same era
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- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
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- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
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- ATMIS, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, 2022–2024ATMIS, 2022–2024: why it was created, its drawdown in phases, the bases handed over, the attacks on its camps, and the move to AUSSOM.
- AUSSOM, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, 2025 to nowAUSSOM, the AU mission since January 2025: how it was approved, its size and troop allocations, Egypt and Ethiopia, Burundi's exit, and the funding gap.
- Commanders of the Somali army since 1960 (Taliyaha Ciidanka Xoogga)Every commander of the Somali armed forces since 1960, with their dates: the Republic, the military government, the transitional government and the federal government.
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- Turkey's military in Somalia: Camp TURKSOM, drones and the sea pactTurkey's military role in Somalia since 2017: the TURKSOM base and the units it trains, armed drones and helicopters, the 2024 defence pact and navy, troop mandates, and the offshore oil link.