Somalia to Conduct All Initial Military Training In-Country, Says President Mohamud

Somalia, 12 April 2026 Somalia will conduct all initial military training inside the country, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Sunday, as the government marked the 66th anniversary of the founding of the Somali National Army.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence in Mogadishu, the president said the government is strengthening domestic military academies and defence strategy institutions as part of efforts to build a more self-reliant armed force.

He said Somalia is expanding training capacity at home and has halted the practice of sending recruits abroad for basic military training.

The president said a Defence University will soon be launched to train senior officers and personnel responsible for military strategy and modern warfare capabilities.

“We will soon open the Defence University here, to train senior officers responsible for defence strategy and modern weapons systems.” he said.

He said new recruits will undergo at least six months of basic training inside Somalia before deployment, to improve discipline, professionalism and operational readiness.

The president also highlighted the role of international support, particularly the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM Somalia), which has contributed to officer training and institutional capacity building.