Egypt to Train Somalian Forces as Mogadishu Expands Military Push

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Somalia Today

5 Nov 2026 20:57

Somali military units trained domestically are preparing to travel to Egypt for specialized instruction in commando operations and special forces tactics.

The Somali army is bolstering its deployment in Lower Shabelle with units from the Gorgor Special Forces, coinciding with Turkish military support and a reorganization of the deployment of African forces, while Puntland discusses preparedness for possible security developments.

Several areas in the Lower Shabelle region of southern Somalia have seen the arrival of new military reinforcements for the national army, coinciding with a reorganization of the deployment of African forces, while the Puntland presidency announced it was raising its level of security readiness to confront any possible developments in the country.

Local information, as relayed by Somalia Today, reported the arrival of units from the Gorgor commando forces of the Somali army in the areas of Audegle, Mubarak, Shalambood and other locations in the region, as part of moves to strengthen the government’s military presence and redistribute the tasks of field units.

Reorganizing troops

These moves coincide with arrangements to reorganize the deployment of Ugandan forces belonging to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which had been deployed across most of Lower Shabelle, with their presence to be limited to specific locations within the mission’s new operational structure.

Turkey had sent military officers and ships loaded with military supplies and equipment to Somalia to support the capabilities of the Gorgor forces, in particular the 22nd Brigade, which is expected to complete its training in Turkey next Saturday.

In a separate development, the head of the Puntland administration, Said Abdullahi Deni, held a meeting with commanders of the security and military forces, during which he discussed preparedness to deal with possible developments in Somalia’s security situation.

According to the Puntland presidency, the head of the administration urged military and security commanders to closely follow developments and to raise the level of readiness and preparedness for any changes that may occur in the security situation.

Egypt preparing to receive Somali army units for training

A number of military units that completed their training at the Hanaano military center are preparing to travel to Egypt in the coming days to receive additional specialized training in special operations and special forces, Somalia Today reported.

According to the report, the commanders of some of the units were informed of the plan following a visit by the commander of the ground forces of the Somali National Army, Brigadier General Sahal Abdullahi Omar (known as “General Khalid”), to the city of Dusamareb.

The report indicated that these forces had undergone intensive military training inside Somalia over several years, while the upcoming training program in Egypt will focus on developing “commando” skills and special operations.

The units concerned are expected to join Somali special forces formations after completing the training, as part of efforts to develop the capabilities of the national army and enhance the qualification of its military units.

No official details have been announced so far regarding the number of participating units or the date of their travel, and no announcement has been issued clarifying the duration of the training or the Egyptian body supervising it.