MOGADISHU (SD) – The Somali government has secured significant military support after Türkiye, Egypt, and Serbia supplied the country with advanced weapons and military equipment. This delivery has substantially boosted the operational capacity and readiness of the Somali National Army (SNA), amidst intense diplomatic and security pressures.

Senior Somali military officials confirmed to the reporter that Türkiye has provided this military hardware to Somalia, including armoured vehicles, ammunition, communications systems, operational command equipment, and night-vision gear.

The report indicated that this support coincides with the ongoing activation of the Gorgor units, which have received specialised training at the TÜRKSOM base operated by Türkiye in Mogadishu.

This, as reported by the agency, shows that Türkiye is not limiting its involvement to training alone but is directly enhancing Somalia’s operational and combat military capabilities.

Additionally, Somali officials confirmed that Egypt and Serbia have also supplied military weapons and equipment, although the specific types and quantities of the weapons provided were not disclosed.

Al-Shabaab, on multiple occasions, displayed millions of dollars’ worth of military equipment and weapons seized from Somali army units and their allied militias. Al-Shabaab has also bought heavy weaponry from Somalia’s military officials in the past.

This influx of weaponry comes as Somalia is receiving widespread diplomatic support regarding the defence of its unity and territory.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Arab, Islamic, and African nations have jointly issued statements condemning the recent visit by an Israeli official to Somaliland.

This is not just an arms transfer; it is a strategic military signal. In direct response to Israel’s recognition of and engagement with Somaliland, Somalia’s key allies (Türkiye, Egypt, Serbia) are providing the means for Mogadishu to back its diplomatic stance with enhanced military credibility. It is a message to Hargeisa, Israel, and other potential recognisers: the FGS has powerful military backers ready to bolster its defence capabilities.

While framed as support for counterterrorism and sovereignty, this influx of heavy weaponry raises the risk of the Somalia-Somaliland dispute turning into an armed standoff. If the diplomatic stalemate intensifies, the presence of better-armed forces on both sides (Somaliland also receives support) increases the potential for miscalculation or a localized conflict escalating. It shifts the dispute from a political-legal issue to one with a growing military dimension.

The military support from Türkiye, Egypt, and Serbia marks a significant hardening of the regional blocs forming around the Somalia-Somaliland issue. It is a move from words to tangible action. Somalia is being equipped not just to fight Al-Shabaab but to project strength and deterrence in its sovereignty dispute. This signals the start of a potentially dangerous new phase where the conflict becomes increasingly militarized and internationalized, with external powers directly arming the two sides. The risk is that it could lead to an arms race and a frozen conflict with an ever-increasing potential for violent escalation.