The Somali National Army (SNA) is responsible for protecting its country and its people from internal and external threats. One of the biggest threats within Somalia today is al-Shabaab, an Islamist extremist group which has been active in Somalia for over a decade. While the military in Somalia has made significant strides in reclaiming territory from al-Shabaab, it is also reliant on foreign assistance.
The SNA has a history dating back to the 1960s when it was established as a national force after independence. Yet, the military has undergone significant challenges since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991. The country has been in a state of civil war and lawlessness, which has led to the fragmentation of the military and the emergence of various armed groups.
Over the years, various attempts have been made in order to rebuild the military in Somalia and improve its capabilities. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has aided the country’s government in the fight against al-Shabaab for the past 15 years. AMISOM was created in order to weaken al-Shabaab and help strengthen the capacity of Somalia’s military in the hopes that the mission could end in 2021. This operation was due to end in December 2021, but the African Union (AU), United Nations and Somali government decided to replace AMISOM with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in April 2022. It was decided that the new mission will operate until the end of 2024 after which all responsibilities will be handed back to Somalia’s military.
The timing of ATMIS’s creation was at a crucial time, considering that al-Shabaab had been taking advantage of the country’s ongoing political tensions to launch multiple large-scale attacks. Despite actions by Somalia’s military and ATMIS, al-Shabaab still controls large territories both in South and Central Somalia…and their attacks are still increasing. One reason for this is that al-Shabaab’s financial and warfare capacity is growing. One of the group’s main incomes is charcoal, despite a ban by successive Somalian administrations, including the current government. It has been estimated that al-Shabaab earns USD 38-56 million annually from charcoal exports and USD 8-18 million annually from taxing charcoal traders at roadblocks and checkpoints.
Violence has become rampant in Somalia, while the military has been able to somewhat disrupt the group’s activities, they are still able to carry out large-scale attacks on a frequent basis with suicide bombings in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu becoming a daily norm. While Somalia’s army has made some strives in reportedly recapturing areas in the central states of Galmudug and Hirshabelle that previously belonged to the group, al-Shabaab nonetheless remains entrenched in central and southern Somalia.
Image Credit: UNSOA
