Also known as: SNA
Somali National Army — military force responsible for security in Somalia, facing capacity constraints and regional conflict amid international support withdrawal.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Somali National Army
Every mention in the Kenyan press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
… h fighting erupted between Somalia’s Federal Government and regional forces near the frontier. “We were moving very well until there was a huge disagreement between the government in Mogadishu and the states,” Ruto said.He explained that clashes involving the Somali National Army …
Somalia border still closed, Ruto saysClashes between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab militants on Monday left dozens dead according to both sides, though neither account could be independently verified. Al-Shabaab claimed 321 troop deaths while the defence ministry said 75 militants were killed and 56 wounded near Leego.
19 hours ago · Citizen Digital →
Clashes between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab militants on Monday left dozens dead according to both sides, though neither account could be independently verified. Al-Shabaab claimed 321 troop deaths while the defence ministry said 75 militants were killed and 56 wounded near Leego.
19 hours ago · Citizen Digital →
Al-Shabaab militants ambushed Turkish-trained Somali government troops and allied militia in Lower Shabelle region, with claims of hundreds killed—though the government and insurgent accounts differ sharply and could not be independently verified. The attack underscores the army's weakness amid salary cuts and declining international donor support.
27 October 2026 · The Standard →
Two police officers—Hagadera Sub-County Police Boss Stephen Ekirapa and Corporal David Rotich—were killed in a suspected Improvised Explosive Device attack between Dadaab and Saretho in Garissa County on Friday, October 9, 2026. Authorities have launched a major police operation to find those responsible.
9 October 2026 · The Standard →
The United States agreed to extend support for the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia for one more year, granting a 12-month drawdown period for the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) beginning in January before its liquidation. The extension provides relief to Troop Contributing Countries including Kenya, though Somalia's security forces remain incapable of fully assuming all responsibilities currently carried out by the mission.
25 September 2026 · The Standard →
Somalia's Security Minister has called on Kenya to arrest and extradite former South West State regional president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, who fled to Kenya after losing elections and a military struggle with the Somali National Army. The minister accuses Laftagareen of instigating recent armed attacks and explosions in the South West State capital, Baidoa.
28 August 2026 · The Standard →
A Somali minister surrendered Kenyan citizenship documents in Mogadishu, prompting scrutiny of Kenya's passport integrity and the dual citizenship status of Somali Federal Government officials. The move followed Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's order for ministers to surrender Kenyan citizenship documents or relinquish their positions, after two senior officials were deported from Kenya when their documents were rejected.
9 August 2026 · The Standard →
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki arrived in Entebbe, Uganda, on July 31 to represent President William Ruto at the 2nd Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, where leaders are deliberating on the peacekeeping mission's operational strategy, financing, and the transition of security responsibilities to the Somali National Army by December 2029.
31 July 2026 · The Standard →
Saudi Arabia is supporting a programme to train 5,107 Somali soldiers at two camps in Somalia's Galgaduud region, with foreign military instructors from Romania, Ukraine, South Africa and Colombia conducting the training over nine months.
12 July 2026 · The Standard →
President William Ruto said the Kenya-Somalia border, closed since 2011 and announced for reopening in February 2026, cannot yet reopen due to escalating war between Somalia's National Army and Jubaland forces at the border.
14 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Ruto blamed renewed conflict and political instability in Somalia for delaying the Kenya-Somalia border reopening, citing clashes between Somalia's Federal Government and regional forces near the border, fighting between the Somali National Army and Jubaland forces that worsened security, and ongoing uncertainty over Somalia's political transition.
13 May 2026 · Capital News →
President William Ruto said Kenya is maintaining the Kenya–Somalia border closure due to renewed fighting between Somalia's Federal Government and regional forces, along with political uncertainty including the expiry of constitutional timelines for the presidency and parliament. Ruto noted that Kenya had been progressing toward reopening the border before fresh clashes erupted and that Kenya assisted the Somali National Army to reduce conflict near the frontier.
13 May 2026 · The Standard →