MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s army chief, Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud, this week dismissed four battalion commanders from the Gorgor elite force after they opposed new measures sought by Turkey, which trains, equips and funds the unit.
The Turkish government has begun implementing conditions that would cut soldiers’ stipends if they are injured, hospitalized or become disabled. Ankara pays the salaries of the Gorgor force, providing $100 per month to rank-and-file soldiers, with higher amounts allocated to officers depending on rank. Under the policy, stipends would be suspended for personnel wounded in battle.
The proposal had previously been presented to former Somali army commander Odowa Yusuf Rage, who declined to implement it and questioned how soldiers could be expected to fight if they knew their pay would be cut in the event of injury. His removal followed his refusal to adopt the measures, a sequence that some observers link to Turkish pressure.
He was replaced by a younger army chief who had been trained by Turkey. This week, the new commander moved to enforce the same measures resisted by his predecessor.
The four battalion commanders dismissed this week had also protested the policy. Their removal paves the way for replacements regarded as more amenable to the changes, which include reductions in pay for wounded soldiers.
In recent years, Turkey has expanded its military and political footprint in Somalia, deepening its involvement in government institutions and security structures. The current army chief’s appointment comes amid what analysts describe as sustained Turkish engagement with Somalia’s armed forces.
Turkey has also established a naval training base near Adale, along the coast of the Middle Shabelle region, for Somalia’s navy. Turkish forces and Gorgor units have been deployed in the area, where journalists say Ankara is planning to build a spaceport. Patrol boats have also been deployed offshore nearby.
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