Somaliland Armed Forces

Somaliland Armed Forces
Ciidanka Qaranka
Current form 1997
Service branches Army
Air Defense Forces
Navy
Headquarters Hargeisa
Berbera
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud
Minister of Defense Ahmed Haji Abdi Adami
Chief of Defense Nuh Ismail Tani
Manpower
Military age 18-45
Available for
military service		 800,000, age 18-45
Fit for
military service		 750,000, age 18-45
Active personnel 75,000
Reserve personnel 70,000

The Somaliland National Armed Forces (Somali: Ciidanka Qaranka Jamhuuriyada Somaliland) are the main military forces in the Republic of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. They are composed of two active military branches: the army and the navy. There is no Base air force.[1] The Somaliland Police Force is also a part of the internal security forces and is subordinate to the military. The Somaliland National Armed Forces comes under the command of President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, who is the Commander-In-Chief. Minister of Defence Ahmed Haji Abdi Adami is the designated minister that oversees the armed forces.

Somaliland spends more on its armed forces than any other item, allocating 30%[2] of revenues to the military. Due to Somaliland's lack of international recognition, the region is not allowed to procure weapons.[2]

According to the UN sources Somaliland has the strongest Somali-composed army.

Commanders

Chief of Staff
No. Name Took office Left office Note
1 General Nuh Ismail Tani[2] 2003 11 December 2011 Dismissed

Army

Personnel

The sub of Somali army defence İn Somaliland has long operated without a formal rank structure. However, in December 2012, the regional defense ministry announced that a chain of command had been developed and would be implemented by January 2013.[1]

Equipment

Due to a United Nations arms embargo on Somalia, which the semi-autonomous Somaliland region is internationally recognized as being a part of, the territory is not allowed to purchase weapons. Consequently, military officials from the region rely on repairing and modifying old equipment. Some also claim that weapons are at times delivered from Ethiopia and Yemen via the port of Berbera, usually during the night.[2]

Regular Somaliland soldiers have been seen with SKS carbines and various versions of the AK-47.[3]

Additionally, the Somaliland army operates an unknown number of the following equipment:[2]

The Somaliland navy (Somali: Ciidanka Bada ee Somaliland) was formed in 2009.[2] The headquarters is located in the coastal town of Berbera; a diving center run by foreign divers who train the Somaliland navy is also located there. The Navy operates with small speedboats mounted with guns.[2] Much of this equipment was provided by the United Kingdom, in an effort to combat piracy.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hasan, Yusuf M. "Somaliland: After Two Decades the Armed Forces Come to Age" indepthafrica.com November 27, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hussein, Abdi "Somalilands Military Is A Shadow of the Past" SomaliaReport, August 13, 2011, accessed August 13, 2011
  3. ↑ Forberg, Ekkehard and Ulf Terlinden. "Small Arms in Somaliland: Their Role and Diffusion" Berlin Information-centre for Transatlantic Study (BITS). March 1999. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
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