SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE WAY FORWARD ON A SOMALI NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE
April 16 2017
The political and security advisors of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member State (FMS) leadership met for a two day meeting (15-16 April 2017) to discuss political questions relating to Somalia’s national security architecture.
These recommendations take into account and build on the existing National Security Policy and the New Policing Model.
The Somali National Army will consist of:
1. Somali Ground Forces
2. Somali Air Force
3. Somali Maritime Forces/Navy
Key Tasks/Responsibilities:
– Safeguarding National Unity/Sovereignty of the country
– Safeguarding and defending the borders of the country
– Defending against external threats and any internal threats that endanger the stability of the country
Figures/Numbers of the SNA and Police Force
Recognizing the challenges of Somali budget and revenue generation, recommend that:
1. The Somali National Army (SNA) shall number at least 18,000, excluding the Special Forces (Danab), Air force and Navy. This work shall be completed within six (6) months, starting from 1 June 2017.
2. The training of these forces shall take place within Somalia, with a unified Somali curriculum, in order to revive national training institutions, which shall be reequipped and resupplied.
3. The SNA shall fall under the Ministry of Defence, and the Minister for Defence shall prepare and assign budgetary allocations in consultation with the Minister for Finance.
4. The Somali police force shall number 32,000, divided into Federal Police and State Police as per the New Policing Model. This 2 expanded figure shall include the Coastguard, as well as Darwish. This task shall be completed within six (6) months, starting from 1 June 2017.
5. The Coastguard will be built and strengthened at the federal level, and the coastguard police at the FMS-level. Their roles and responsibilities will be established later. This task shall be completed within six (6) months, starting from 1 June 2017.
Distribution and Composition
6. The existing SNA sectors shall be redrawn to align with FMS boundaries to reflect the political developments in the country/federal system. This task shall be completed within three (3) months, starting from 1 June 2017.
7. The SNA forces, numbering at least 18,000, shall be distributed across existing SNA sectors (12th, 21st, 43rd, 49th, 48th, 54th, 26th and 60th). The subsequent distribution of the SNA forces (numbering at least 18,000) across the FMS boundary-aligned sectors, shall be determined based on military and geographic need. SNA and FMS leadership will participate in any necessary redistribution of forces. This task shall be completed within six (6) months, starting from 1 June 2017.
8. 500 Danab Special Forces shall be established in each SNA sector, with input from the FMS, reporting to the Danab Brigade HQ in Baledogle. This task shall be completed within six (6) months, starting from 1June 2017.
9. The distribution of the 32,000 police, between Federal and Statelevel, and the question of how many of these should be Darwish, is yet to be determined, but it is agreed that there should be a fair and equitable distribution, based on needs.
10. The Darwish elements of the State-Level Police shall be a reserve force that can be activated as deemed necessary. They shall work with the SNA forces in times of national crisis.
11. The existing regional forces will therefore become part of SNA or be part of State Police. This task shall be completed within three (3) months, starting from 1 June 2017.
12. Those armed personnel who do not meet the requirements for inclusion in any security forces will require comprehensive demobilization and reintegration programmes. Given Somalia’s limited resources and the need to reduce security forces substantially, a DDR and rehabilitation programme will be instrumental to mitigate the risk of extremist groups recruiting former security forces personnel. This task shall be completed within twelve (12) months, starting from 1June 2017.
13. The National Integration Commission shall be a crucial component for ensuring the realization of Somali national security forces, which represent each FMS and the whole country. This task shall be completed within thirty (30) days, starting from 1 June 2017.
Command and Control
14. The Somali National Army is a national force and the President of the Federal Government of Somalia is the Commander in Chief. He is also the Chair of the National Security Council (NSC).
15. The National Security Council will include the FMS presidents. Similarly, the Prime Minister (PM) and FGS Ministers (Ministers for Internal Security, Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, Defence and Finance and the Governor of Banadir Region). In addition, the Heads/Directors of Somali National Forces and National Security Advisors will be technical members of the NSC. FMS participation in National Security Council meetings could be virtual through technical means when necessary. This task shall be completed within ten (10) days, starting from 17 April, 2017.
16. While the National Security Council will handle policy and strategic matters, the Regional Security Councils will enforce implementation. The Regional Security Councils will be chaired by FMS presidents and will include the SNA sector commanders and the State-Level security departments.
17. The State-Level forces shall shoulder the responsibility to ensure security within the FMS solely or with the support of the SNA.
18. To realise effective coordination and collaboration between the Federal and State-Level security actors, National and State-Level 4 Coordination offices will be established. This task shall be completed within thirty (30) days, starting from 17 April 2017.
19. For external threats, the National Security Council will take direct action. For major operations related to internal threats involving the SNA, the National Security Council shall authorize the scope and methods of the operation, and delegate operational command responsibilities for the relevant SNA sector to the relevant Regional Security Council.
20. In consultation with the FMS presidents, the CDF will propose SNA sector commanders to the MoD for approval. In the event of concerns about the performance or conduct of a particular SNA sector commander, the relevant FMS President will officially report it to the FGS President.
21. The Federal Police shall report to the relevant FGS Minister, and State-Level Police shall report to the relevant FMS authorities.
Resource/Finance
22. The FGS shall be responsible for the salaries and support requirements of the SNA.
23. The FGS shall be responsible for the salaries and support requirements of the Federal Police, and FMS’s shall be responsible for the salaries and support requirements of the StateLevel Police. Internationally mobilized resources (donor support) for the security sector shall be equitably distributed across the Federal and FMS levels.
24. There shall be a Federal financial responsibility to support sections of State-Level Police that are engaged in active operations against internal threats.
25.Effective and transparent monetary management system for the operations of the forces’ resources shall be established within three (3) months.
26. The International Community are requested to set aside enough resources to support the restructuring and development of the national security architecture during this transition period.
27. The security budget shall be sufficient to ensure proper funding towards the security sector, including salaries, equipment, healthcare, training, housing and operations, and additional items.
28. The above mentioned responsibilities shall be in line with the national constitution and resource sharing mechanisms
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