Somali Armed Forces Xoogga Dalka Soomaaliyeed القوات المسلحة الصومالية |
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Emblem of the Somali Armed Forces
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Founded | 1960 |
Service branches |
Somali National Army Somali Air Force Somali Navy |
Headquarters | Mogadishu, Somalia |
Leadership | |
Commander-in-Chief | Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed |
Minister of Defense | Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed |
Chief of Army | Gen. Mohamed Ahmed Jimale |
Manpower | |
Military age | 18 |
Available for military service |
2,260,175 (2010 est.; males) 2,159,293 (2010 est.; females), age 18–49 |
Fit for military service |
1,331,894 (2010 est.; males) 1,357,051 (2010 est.; females), age 18–49 |
Reaching military age annually |
101,634 (2010 est.; males) 101,072 (2010 est.; females) |
Expenditures | |
Percent of GDP | 0.9% (2005) |
Industry | |
Foreign suppliers |
European Union United States Gulf states Turkey |
The Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) 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. Due to Barre's increasing reliance on his own clans, repressive policies, and the Somali Rebellion, the military had by 1988 begun to disintegrate. By the time President Siad Barre fled in 1991, the armed forces had dissolved. As of January 2014, the security sector is overseen by the Federal Government of Somalia's Ministry of Defence, Ministry of National Security, and Ministry of Interior and Federalism. The Somaliland, Puntland and Khaatumo regional governments maintain their own security and police forces.
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 Sultanates 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.