Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region has begun recruiting nearly 100 security personnel for specialized training by the United States, in a sign of expanding military cooperation between the regional administration and Washington.
The recruits have reportedly been drawn from different branches of Puntland’s security forces and will train at a US facility in Bosaso, the region’s principal port city, according to the Puntland-based Garowe Online.
The program is expected to prepare them for counterterrorism operations against al-Shabaab and Islamic State militants operating in parts of northeastern Somalia.
The reported training effort follows an agreement signed on August 2 between Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and a US Africa Command delegation led by Major General Claude K. Tudor Jr. The deal would allow the US to expand its Bosaso facility to support counterterrorism and maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The arrangement covers military training, equipment and salary support for Puntland forces. However, neither the US government nor Somalia’s federal authorities have publicly confirmed the agreement, its full scope, or the reported plans for a larger American base.
Puntland has been central to operations against Islamic State-linked fighters in the mountainous Bari region, while the US has provided air support and intelligence in northern Somalia.
Separately, on October 31, Somalia and Russia discussed cooperation on police training, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, strengthening the police force and countering extremist ideology.
The parallel engagements highlight Somalia’s effort to broaden international security partnerships amid a persistent al-Shabaab insurgency and growing regional competition for influence in the Horn of Africa.
