Saudi Arabia Expands Strategic Influence In Horn Of Africa With Mass Somali Military Training Program
A Saudi military delegation visited two training camps in the city of Gorisil, Galgaduud region, where forces belonging to the Somali Federal Government are being trained, according to the website caasimada.
This visit is part of a Saudi-funded program aimed at training new units slated to join the Somali National Army.
Available information indicates that the program includes training 5,107 soldiers, distributed across the two camps visited by the Saudi delegation.
It is reported that approximately 2,000 of these soldiers are young men recruited from Puntland, while the remainder were gathered from various regions of the country.
The training is scheduled to last nine months, equipping the forces with basic military skills, operational procedures, and related combat training.
Reports add that the training is being provided by foreign military instructors from Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, and Colombia. The Somali government has not yet released detailed information regarding the selection process for trainees or the specific nature of the training the forces will receive.
The Somali-Saudi Agreement
The delegation’s visit comes a few months after Somalia and Saudi Arabia signed a defense and military cooperation agreement.
The agreement was signed on February 9, 2026, in Riyadh, and stated that it strengthens defense relations, troop training, and cooperation in areas of mutual interest between the two countries.
The agreement was signed by Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman, although not all of its provisions have been officially announced.
The JORCEIL program appears to be one of the first steps in implementing this cooperation, as Saudi Arabia seeks to expand its role in security in Somalia and the Horn of Africa region in general.
In recent years, the Federal Government has concluded military training and support agreements with several countries, including Turkey, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Eritrea, and Uganda.
These countries have trained various units of the Somali forces, but concerns have frequently been raised about the lack of coordination between the programs, the differences in training methods, and the military affiliation of the forces after completing the courses.
The Competition for Regional Influence
The expansion of Saudi military support comes at a time of escalating competition among regional and global powers for influence in Somalia.
Somalia occupies a strategic location linking the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden, and its long coastline is of particular importance to countries seeking to protect trade routes and maritime security.
Analysts believe that training forces and funding security projects is not solely about combating al-Shabaab, but also part of foreign countries’ efforts to strengthen their close ties with the Somali government.
This program also comes at a time when the federal government is facing security challenges and political disputes related to the electoral process and relations between some regional states.
The recruitment of young men from Puntland is of particular interest, given the ongoing political dispute between the Puntland administration and the federal government.
It is unclear whether these forces were directly recruited by the federal government in Puntland, or whether they will return to that region after training. There has also been no official statement from the Puntland administration regarding the soldiers allegedly participating in the Jurisil training program.
