Thursday April 3, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday appointed Brigadier General Abdiwahab Abdullahi Omar as the new Commander of the Somali Navy, signaling a renewed effort to increase maritime security and reclaim control over the country’s vast coastline.
In a presidential decree, President Mohamud emphasized the critical importance of a strong naval force for safeguarding Somalia’s territorial waters and upholding national sovereignty.
“The government is working to strengthen the Somali Navy so that it can take over the security and defense of our maritime borders, which are essential for our nationhood and unity,” the President stated.
President Mohamud praised outgoing Navy Commander Admiral Abdi Warsame for his contributions during his tenure and urged the incoming Commander to “double down” on national duties and accelerate naval reforms.
The appointment comes amid a broader government campaign to rebuild the Somali Navy, which was decimated by decades of conflict. Since 2023, hundreds of Somali naval personnel trained in countries like Eritrea have returned home, forming the foundation of a new maritime security architecture.
Somali waters—strategically located along major international shipping routes—have long been vulnerable to piracy, illegal fishing, and smuggling. While the European Union’s Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) continues to patrol these waters through its mission in Somalia (EUMIS), the Somali government aims to assume full control over its maritime domain gradually.