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Ministry of Defence (Somalia)

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Minister of Defence of Somalia
Wasaaradda Gaashaandhigga
Coat of arms of Somalia
Agency overview
Formed12 April 1960; 64 years ago (1960-04-12)
JurisdictionFederal Government of Somalia
HeadquartersMogadishu,  Somalia
Agency executive
Parent agencyCabinet of Somalia
Websitewww.mod.somaligov.net

The Ministry of Defence (Somali: Wasaaradda Gaashaandhigga) is charged with co-ordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Somali Armed Forces. The President of Somalia is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the country. The Ministry of Defence provides policy framework and resources to the Armed Forces to discharge their responsibility in the context of the defence of the country. The Armed Forces (including Somali Army, Somali Air Force, and Somali Navy) under the Defence Ministry are primarily responsible for ensuring the territorial integrity of the nation. The current Minister of Defence of Somalia is Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur.

History

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After independence, the Darawishta merged with the former British Somaliland Scouts and new recruits to form a 5,000 strong Somali National Army.[1] The new military's first commander was Colonel Daud Abdulle Hirsi, a former officer in the British military administration's police force, the Somalia Gendarmerie.[2] Officers were trained in the United Kingdom, Egypt, and Italy. Despite the social and economic benefits that military service brought, the Somali Armed Forces began to suffer chronic manpower shortages only a few years after independence.[3] After the 1969 Somali coup d'état, most Ministers of Defence were drawn from the Supreme Revolutionary Council until 1990-91. Major General Muhammad Ainanshe, a member of the SRC, lost his portfolio of Minister of Defence on 10 April 1971 before his arrest on 4 May 1971.[4]

The subsequent outbreak of the Somali Civil War from the late 1980s led to the armed forces disintegrating totally.

Somalia's armed forces were gradually reconstituted after the establishment of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in 2004. After the creation of the Transitional Federal Government in 2010, several ministers succeeded each other. Abdihakim Mohamed Fiqi, a former Somali diplomatic with service in Washington, became Minister of Defence in mid-November 2010. While he had known that Al-Shabaab occupied the Ministry of Defence building at the time, he had not realised the weaknesses of the interim MOD premises in the privately owned Jidda Hussein building.[5] There, the ministry had only two rooms, without internet or electricity. Thus the handshake transfer of responsibility - there was nothing more to hand over - took place in the palace, in the living room of the Somali Armed Forces commander.

In September 2014, a Somali government delegation led by Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed attended an international conference in London hosted by the British government, which centered on rebuilding the Somali National Army and strengthening the security sector in Somalia. Ahmed presented to the participants his administration's plan for the development of the Somali Armed Forces, as well as fiscal planning, human rights protection, arms embargo compliance, and ways to integrate regional militias. The summit also aimed to arrange funding for the armed forces. British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the meeting sought to outline a long-term security plan to strengthen Somalia's army, police and judiciary.[6]

In April 2015, the federal Ministry of Defence launched its new Guulwade Plan (Victory Plan), which provided a roadmap for development of the (federal) Somali Armed Forces. It was formulated with technical support from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). The framework stipulates that international partners are slated to provide capacity-building as well as assistance for joint operations to 10,900 Somali national army troops, with these units drawn from various regions in the country.[7]

As of April 2015, UNSOM coordinated international security sector assistance for the SNA in accordance with Somali federal priority areas. It also provides advice on recruitment of female officers, strictures on age appropriate military personnel, legal frameworks vis-a-vis the defence institutions, and a development strategy for the Ministry of Defence.[7]

As of May 2015, the federal government in conjunction with UNSOM was working toward establishing a comprehensive, international standards and obligations-compliant ammunition and weapons management system. To this end, capacity-building for the physical management of arms and bookkeeping was being developed, and new storage facilities and armouries for weapons and explosives were being constructed.[7]

On Sunday 26 December 2021, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble made a limited cabinet reshuffle, switching the portfolios of the Justice Minister and Defence Minister.[8][9] Hassan Hussein Haji the previous defence minister was moved to the Ministry of Justice while Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur was moved from Justice to Defence. Immediately afterwards President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Faarmajo" suspended Roble; the two had had a stormy working relationship.

Organization

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  • Minister of Defence
    • Deputy Minister
      • Secretary-General
        • Under the Authority of Secretary-General
          • Internal Audit and Investigation Division
          • Somali Armed Forces Council Secretariat
          • Key Performance Indicator Unit
          • Legal Division
          • Strategic Communications Unit
          • Integrity Unit
        • Deputy Secretary-General (Development)
          • Development Division
          • Procurement Division
          • Somali Armed Forces Cataloguing Authority
        • Deputy Secretary-General (Policy)
          • Policy and Strategic Planning Division
          • Defence Industry Division
          • Defence Reserve Depot
        • Deputy Secretary-General (Management)
          • Human Resource Management Division
          • Information Management Division
          • Finance Division
          • Account Division
          • Administration Division
        • Chief of Defence Forces
          • Chief of Army
          • Chief of Navy
          • Chief of Air Force
          • Joint Force Commander
          • Director of General Defence Intelligence
          • Chief of Staff Somali Armed Forces Headquarters

Defence Ministers

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Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
• Somali Republic (1960–1969) •
Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal[10]
Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal[10]19601961
Sheikh Ali Ismail[10]
Sheikh Ali Ismail[10]19611962
Hilowle Moalin Mohamed[10]
Hilowle Moalin Mohamed[10]19621964
Aden Issaq Ahmed[10]
Aden Issaq Ahmed[10]19641966
Abdirahman Haji Mumin[10]
Abdirahman Haji Mumin[10]19661967
Haji Yusuf Iman Gulaid[10]
Haji Yusuf Iman Gulaid[10]19671969
• Somali Democratic Republic (1969–1991) •
Hilowle Moalin Mohamed[10]
Hilowle Moalin Mohamed[10]19691970
Salad Gabeire Kedie[10]
Salad Gabeire Kedie[10]April 1970July 1970
Mohammad Ali Samatar[10]
Lieutenant General
Mohammad Ali Samatar[10]
(1931–2016)		1970[10]1987[10]16–17 years SRSP
Omar Haji Mohamed[11]
Brigadier General
Omar Haji Mohamed[11]
(1934–2014)		October 198119821 year SRSP
Aden Abdullahi Nur[10]
General
Aden Abdullahi Nur[10]
(1940–2002)		1987[10]1989[10]1–2 years SRSP
Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman[10]
Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman[10]
(1941–2016)
First civilian Defence Minister under Barre[12]		1989[10]1990[10]0–1 years SRSP
• Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (2004–2012) •
Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman
Hussein Sheikh Abdirahman
(1945–2016)
[13]		200820080 years Independent
Mohamed Abdi Mohamed
Mohamed Abdi Mohamed
(born 1954)		21 February 200910 November 20101 year, 262 days Independent
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi12 November 201020 July 2011250 days Independent
Hussein Arab Isse
Hussein Arab Isse20 July 20114 November 20121 year, 107 days Independent
• Federal Republic of Somalia (2012–present) •
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi4 November 201217 January 20141 year, 74 days Independent
Mohamed Sheikh Hassan
Mohamed Sheikh Hassan17 January 201427 January 20151 year, 10 days Independent
Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini
Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini27 January 201521 March 20172 years, 53 days Independent
Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed
Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed21 March 201712 October 2017205 days Independent
Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdurahman
Mohamed Mursal Sheikh AbdurahmanNovember 2017March 2018[14]
Hassan Hussein Haji
Hassan Hussein Haji2020 or earlier12 June 2022
Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur
Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur12 June 2022Incumbent1 year, 114 days Independent

References

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  1. ^ Robinson, Colin D. (2019). "Glimpse into an Army at its Peak: Notes on the Somali National Army in the 1960-80s". Defence and Security Analysis. 35 (4): 423–429. doi:10.1080/14751798.2019.1675944. S2CID 211441701.
  2. ^ Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, The Warrior Tradition and Development of a Modern Army, research complete May 1992.
  3. ^ Library of Congress Country Study, Somalia, Manpower, Training, and Conditions of Service (Thomas Ofcansky), research complete May 1992.
  4. ^ Daniel Compagnon, "RESSOURCES POLITIQUES, REGULATION AUTORITAIRE ET DOMINATION PERSONNELLE EN SOMALIE: LE REGIME SIYYAD BARRE (1969-1991), PhD thesis, Volume 1, 289-290.
  5. ^ Harun Maruf; Dan Joseph (2018). Inside Al-Shabaab: The Secret History of Al-Qaeda's Most Powerful Ally. Indiana University Press. p. 167.
  6. ^ "An international conference in London on Somali security". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Report of the Secretary – General on Somalia – S /2015/331". United Nations Security Council. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  8. ^ "Somalia President Farmaajo suspends PM Roble, again". 27 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Somalia, Defense and Security ministers: "Foiled coup attempt orchestrated by Farmajo"". 27 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Mukhtar, Mohamed Haji; Castagno, Margaret (2003). Historical dictionary of Somalia (New ed.). Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4344-7.
  11. ^ Nelson et al., Country Study, 1982, 247-48, 267.
  12. ^ "Former Somali defense minister dies in US". Hiiraan Online. 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
  13. ^ "Islamists kill Somalia's former defence minister with car bomb". Reuters. 2016-02-15. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
  14. ^ "Somalia's former defense minister elected new speaker of parliament". 30 April 2018.
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