U.S. Soldiers Perspective On Training SNA

[AbdiCushite]

* There are two key things one needs to understand about the political climate of Somalia. First is that clan alignment dominates politics and many other facets of Somali life. One in four parliamentary seats are automatically allocated to each of the major clans in Somalia

* Second is that corruption is rampant in Somalia. The New York Times after the presidential election hailed the achievement as a “milestone of corruption” with about $20 million exchanging hands in Somalia leading up to the election.[iii] In fact, Transparency International rates Somalia as the most corrupt country in the world – with a world ranking of 176 out of 176

[AbdiCushite]

* When it comes to equipment given from foreign governments to Somalia many in the Somali Army have trouble understanding the difference between “for me” versus “for my army.”

* The Somali military, like its government, is newly established and immature in its development. Somalia’s conventional force, the Somali National Army (SNA), exists but the health, discipline, and organization of its force varies greatly. For example, when trying to muster a group of 80 SNA soldiers for training Somali military coordinators were not sure where some soldiers were coming from and if they were even in the military.

[AbdiCushite]

* Furthermore, the Huawiye tribe dominates the military forces while the Darod tribe dominates the government. This creates external and internal conflict within the military. There is some disdain towards the government due to clan differences. There is also disdain towards Darod officers in the military. During our mission I chose to discontinue an officer’s only small-group training program because SNA leadership would only send Huawiye officers to the class despite there clearly being capable officers from other clans

* The SNA is not the only military force in Somalia. “Elite” Danab force are a subset of the Somali military in which the United States has invested heavily in compared to the rank and file SNA. While the Danab see themselves as the Somali version of special forces, a more accurate assessment of them would be better equipped SNA soldiers. However, one notable difference is that Danab units integrate members of all clans into their ranks

[AbdiCushite]

* Another component of Somali military forces are the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). Conflict between these different military organizations can often be as violent as their clashes with Al Shabab. There are multiple instances of NISA getting into firefights with Danab.[v] While deployed, my team was able to hear the gunfire between the two by a checkpoint near Mogadishu’s airport

SFG fighting itself

[AbdiCushite]

* The economy of Somalia is mostly agrarian but severe draught is causing starvation. Moreover, poverty is pervasive and most SNA soldiers have not been paid in months. Money would become an infrequent point of friction when my team would be asked to provide cash handouts to SNA soldiers that had rarely ever been paid.

I wonder which fat cat has been stealing the soldiers pay??? Why would international community pour millions into SNA and not add some type of salary? I think someone at the top has been stealing it. Remember U.S. cut off funding for SNA recently after much of the aid they've been receiving kept going missing...

[AbdiCushite]

* We knew how to execute the training mission but any day we would have to deal with trainees being sent to jail by their superiors, trainees arriving while having a seizure and foaming blood at the mouth, or a even dead body being driven around our site in the back of an ambulance

* In order to ensure that no one was entering out site with a weapon we conducted a search in addition to the one already conducted by the Ugandans at the gate. While we never found anything of concern from the trainees besides a ceremonial dagger or two, we felt the no-exceptions search policy to be necessary since we would frequently confiscate pistols from other SNA personnel visiting the site. Many of the SNA trainees, on the other hand, felt that we had learned who they were and therefore searches were unnecessary if not humiliating. It is, after all, Somalia and who were we to search Somalis in their own country?

[AbdiCushite]

* The third example is when the officer in charge of the first set of trainees wanted to end training at noon each day for “security reasons.” I was suspicious that the actual reason was simply to leave training early. I asked for details on the security reasons and he quickly recanted his request as merely “a suggestion.” In this instance there was no power or credible reason to consider the request in good faith and the request was denied and dismissed rapidly

That's the last exert I will post from the soldiers article , it is a very interesting read and if you want to read it yourself here is the link :

http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/lo ... in-somalia

[abodu]

Why you obsessed with somalia? Feeling a bit claustrophobic up there in jeegaanland?

[AbdiCushite]

Why you obsessed with somalia? Feeling a bit claustrophobic up there in jeegaanland?

Oh so now I'm obsessed with Somalia? But you guys make daily threads about SL, and that in your delusional minds it's still part of Somalia . You cant have it both ways doqonyahow either tell me to stay out of Somalia affairs, or you need to hop off SL's guus. Pick one.

[xiimaaya]

Nobody takes you seriously because you are newbie clown

[AbdiCushite]

Nobody takes you seriously because you are newbie clown

And nobody takes SFG or SNA serious Mr. Tuna besides I didn't type anything in this thread doqon, I copy and pasted a soldiers own article where he highlights the corruption and incompetence in Mogadishu