Somalia's Army Graduates Largest Class of ~3,000 Soldiers Since 1991 Collapse

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud presided over the passing-out of roughly 3,000 newly trained Somali National Army soldiers at a Saudi-funded training base in Galgaduud region, Galmudug State, on Sunday, August 16, 2026 — the largest single graduation class since the 1991 collapse of the central government. The recruits completed nearly a year of basic training covering combat tactics, discipline, and military law under a defense agreement Somalia signed with Saudi Arabia in February 2026, under which Riyadh committed to training approximately 5,000 Somali soldiers. The milestone comes as AUSSOM accelerates its drawdown and the US has signaled it will end UNSOS logistics funding after the mission's December 31, 2026 mandate expiry, increasing pressure on the SNA to expand its own force generation.