Military of Somaliland

Somaliland Armed Forces Ciidanka Qaranka
Service branches	Army Air Defense Forces Navy
Headquarters	Hargeisa Berbera
Leadership
Minister of Defense	Ahmed Haji Abdi Adami
Chief of staff	General Nuh Ismail Tani[1]
Manpower
Military age	18 - 49 years.
Available for military service	~800,000 (2005)[citation needed], age 16-45 (2011 est.)
Fit for military service	~340,000 (2005)[citation needed], age 16-45 (2011 est.)
Active personnel	28,000[1]
Expenditures
Budget	$6 million (2006)[2]
Percent of GDP	0.9% of GDP (2005)[citation needed]

The Somaliland Armed Forces (Somali: Ciidanka Qaranka) are the main military forces in Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. They are composed of three principle military units: the army, the navy and the air defence forces. The Somaliland Police Force is also a part of the internal security forces but is subordinate to the military. The current person in charge of Somaliland's Armed Forces is the Minister of Defence Ahmed Haji Abdi Adami.

The Somaliland Armed Forces is the biggest item in the government's budget, with nearly 25% of revenues devoted to the armed forces.^[2] An article on the 2006 budget cited a figure of approximately 41 billion Somaliland Shilling, approximately $6 million.^[2] Due to Somaliland's lack of international recognition, the region receives no foreign assistance to maintain its military.

Army

The army is organized into 12 divisions which comprise 4 tank brigades, 45 mechanized and infantry brigades, 4 commando brigades, surface-to-air missile brigade, 3 artillery brigades, 30 field battalions, and an air defense battalion.^{[citation needed]}

Regular soldiers of Somaliland have been seen with G3 rifles, SKS carbines and various versions of the AK-47. ^[3]

The Somaliland army operates and unknown number of the following equipment:^[1][4]

• BM-21 mobile rocket launchers.
• BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missiles.
• BTR-50 tracked armored personnel carriers.
• T-34 medium tanks.
• T-55 main battle tanks.

Because of the UN arms embargo on Somalia, the semi-autonous Somaliland is unable to purchase arms and therefore rely on repairing/modifying old equipment. Some arms are believed to have been delivered by Ethiopia and Yemen.^[1]

Navy

The Somaliland navy (Somali: Ciidanka Bada ee Somaliland) was formed in 2009. The headquarter is located in the coastal town of Berbera where its also a diving center run by foreign divers who train the Somaliland navy. The Navy operates with small speedboats mounted with guns, pick-ups and trucks.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Hussein, Abdi "Somalilands Military Is A Shadow of the Past" SomaliaReport, August 13, 2011, accessed August 13, 2011
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Naqdiga Miisaaniyada Somaliland ee Sannadka 2006" Somaliland.org. March 11, 2006. Accessed November 26, 2010.
3. ^ BITS Research Report 99.1, March 1999
4. ^ "Somaliland Army in Pictures"