President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to preside over the graduation of a new group of Somali National Army personnel trained at the Hananbuure military training facility in Galmudug State.
The troops have undergone military training and are expected to formally join the Somali National Army following the graduation ceremony. President Hassan Sheikh is also expected to address the soldiers and urge them to uphold their responsibilities in defending the country and protecting civilians.
Senior Somali military officials, including the commander of the Danab Special Forces, have arrived in Hananbuure ahead of the ceremony. Officials involved in preparations for the President’s visit are also in the area.
The newly trained forces have been equipped and prepared to participate in national security operations, including the campaign against Al-Shabaab, stabilization of government-controlled areas and reinforcement of Somali forces already engaged in military operations.
The training and deployment of additional Somali troops form part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen the capacity of the national army as responsibility for Somalia’s security gradually shifts from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) to Somali security forces.
AUSSOM has already begun transferring responsibility for some of its forward operating bases to Somali forces, making the expansion and preparation of the national army increasingly important to Somalia’s security transition.
The government has continued to invest in the recruitment, training and equipping of Somali forces as it seeks to build a capable national security structure able to independently conduct counterterrorism operations and maintain stability across the country.
Mustaqbal
