1.0 Introduction
The Somali Danab Brigades (Ciidamada Danab – “Lightning Force”) is a highly trained unit of the Somali National Army. Formed in 2014, it is an elite commando brigade which has received substantial amounts of US security assistance. Due to the frustration over the general ineffectiveness of the capabilities of the wider Somali National Army (SNA) the US government shifted strategies to focus on training more specialised troops. The commandos have successfully retaken control of Somali territory from Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group that threatens much of Somalia.
2.0 Motto, Symbols, Patches and History
2.1 Motto
The Danab Brigades’ motto is
‘Isku Tiirsada!’
This stands for ‘Lean on each other!’. This use of a phrase is similar to Western-style special operations units such as the Navy Seals (SEAL). [Source]
2.2 Symbols and Flags of the Danab Brigade
The Danab Brigades commonly use the Somali National Army flag, the Somali flag and also the Danab unit flag.
2.3 Patches of the Danab Brigade
The Danab Brigade commonly uses the unit’s coat of arms as one of its patches, commonly seen on the uniform of the operators. This patch features the Somali flag with a Somali dagger known as a billao. This dagger is a traditional Somali long-dagger or shortsword. Also featured on the patch is the word Kumandooska which is Somali for commando, and the patch also features the name of the unit, Danab. The patch features two lighting bolts symbolising the unit’s ability to strike rapidly.
The patch resembles US special operations group patches due to the substantial amount of funding and training which the group has received from the US. One example of a patch which it is similar to is the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) patch as seen below.
2.4 History of the Danab Brigade
The Danab Brigades were established in 2014 after training was carried out by Bancroft Global Development. This US Private Military Company (PMC) was paid by the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) which was then reimbursed by the US State Department. [Source]
Aimed at creating a mixed clan unit the training of the first Danab Brigades unit began in October 2013 with 150 recruits and by the end of 2014 a total of 750 commandos had completed the training. [Source]
In 2017 the Brigade accompanied SEAL Team 6 operators on a mission to apprehend a senior al-Shabaab leader which resulted in the death of one senior SEAL Team member. Throughout 2018 and 2019 the Danab Brigades regularly carried out strikes and raids against al-Shabaab. This has resulted in a crippling of al-Shabaab’s capabilities and this has often occurred alongside direct support from American forces. American JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) operators have been known to direct artillery fire and close air support (CAS) for Danab units when they are engaging with groups such as al-Shabaab. [Source, source]
3.0 Organisation
3.1 Place within the Somali National Army
The Danab Brigade is a specialised commando brigade within the Somali National Army (SNA). It was formed due to a requirement for an effective specialised unit to combat al-Shabaab. As a brigade, it currently only has 3000-4000 members but plans have been made to scale up the unit due to the success of the unit. [Source]
3.2 Financing of the Danab Brigade
The group receives substantial funding and equipment procurement through the United States. Somalia is the primary recipient of the PKO (Peacekeeping Operations) funding through the United States State Department. It currently receives $2.352 Billion which is 67% more than the next four recipients which are Sudan, South Sudan, Liberia and the DRC.
Top 5 country-specific US State Dept. PKO Aid Recipients since 2001. [Source]
- Somalia – $2.352 Billion
- Sudan – $536 Million
- South Sudan – $489 Million
- Liberia – $216 Million
- DRC – $167 Million
The Danab Brigade received substantial amounts of funding in FY2019 (Financial Year 2019). [Source]
- $3,915,000 – Ammunition and Explosives
- $3,700,000 – Vehicles and Ancillary Items
- $1,605,000 – Operational Training and Services
3.3 Key Figures
The Danab Brigade has several key figures:
- Lt. Col. Ahmed Abdullahi Nur “Beeryare” – Commander of the 4th Battalion of the Danab Brigade based in Baledogle. Operating in Jubaland (Hirshabelle, South West, Galmudug) the 4th Battalion functions as a Special Operations Forces group and also regular infantry.
- Maj. Xasan Adaan Maxamad “Ciraaqi” – Commander of the 5th Battalion based in Kismayo. Operating in Jubaland the 5th Battalion functions as a regular infantry unit.
- Maj. Hassan Maxamad “Tuure” – Commander of the 7th Battalion based in Jowhar. He was killed following a raid by Al Shabaab on a military compound in the Gal’ad district. Operating in Hirshabelle it functions as a regular infantry unit.[Source]
[Source]
3.4 Recruitment
The Danab Brigades recruits especially to prevent bias based on “clanism” which is prevalent in many of the SNA units. Danab recruits primarily based on the Somali Federal “4.5” system which gives equal representation to members of the major clans. These clans are the Hawiye, Darod, Dir, Rahanweyn/Digil and Mirifle clans. The minority clans and ethnic groups it recruits from represent the “.5” in the system. [Source]
3.5 Training of the Danab Brigade
The unit requires its recruits to have a high level of education and a standardised training program teaches several things. These include:
- Physical training
- Marksmanship
- Urban Operations training
- Medical training
- Close air support training
- Espirit de corps
- Land navigation
U.S. forces host land navigation course with Danab Brigade – [Images source]
3.5.1 Bancroft Global Development Training
The Danab Brigades have received training from Bancroft Global Development through funding provided by the US State Department. Bancroft Global Development set up Danab and continues to train and advise the unit. Bancroft itself has not said anything about its work in Somalia apart from that it is “part of a broader international effort”. However, Bancroft Global Investments (a separate legal entity which shares the leadership of the global development branch) has become one of Somalia’s largest real estate investors. [Source, source, source]
3.5.2 Danab Brigade Officer Corps
The Danab Officer Corps also reflects the multi-ethnic focus of the recruitment process. Former Danab Brigade officers described the officers as coming from varying clans and communities and they command mixed-clan groups with members hailing from varying ethnic groups. The officers also go through a rigorous training program and advance through the ranks based on merit. Danab soldiers also respect their officers which contrasts with poor soldier-officer relations present in other SNA units. [Source]
3.5.3 Danab Brigade female soldiers
The Danab Brigades also recruit female soldiers and they appear to serve alongside their male counterparts in frontline operations. This however may be aimed at creating a similar unit/team such as the Female Engagement Teams used by the US (and other Western-aligned) armies. These ‘Female Engagement Teams’ are composed of female operators who are able to engage on a more personal level with women in regions where it may be culturally insensitive for a man to be either physical with (e.g. searching for weapons) or alone with a woman. [Source, source]
3.6 Connections to other important organisations
The Danab Brigades have several connections to other organisations and units. These include but are not limited to:
- Bancroft Global Development – The Danab Brigades have received substantial training and advice from the contracting organisation since its inception. [Source]
- US Special Forces – The Danab Brigades have received training from varying US Special Forces units. They have also operated alongside US Special Operations forces such as the Navy SEALs and the US Marine Corps’ “Raider” unit when on operations. [Source, source, source]
Marine Corps “Raider” unit providing a training and advisory role to Danab Brigade operators [Image source]
3.7 Public perception of the Danab Brigade
The public perception of the Danab Brigades varies depending on who is asked. Among large sections of Somali society, there is a consensus that they are a special forces unit of the Somali National Army (SNA). However, as Somali journalist, Mohamed Gabobe stated in an interview:
“certain segments of Somali society view the foreign trained forces, including Danab as a some-sort of proxy force … many of these foreign governments have competing interests in the country and the troops they train (such as Danab) are sometimes viewed by the war-weary populace as just another armed actor in a broader chess game. That chess game being Somalia.”
Mohamed Gabobe
4.0 Equipment
The Danab Brigades use a variety of equipment and weapons ranging from US-supplied M4 Carbines to locally procured or supplied AK-47s. The group also uses a variety of equipment such as body armour and NVGs (night vision goggles).
4.1 Weapons
Weapons used by the Danab Brigades include but are not limited to:
- M4-pattern rifles
- AR-M9F rifles
- Chinese Type 56-2 rifles
- Standard Type 56 rifles
- AK-47s
- PKM Machine guns
- FN Minimi LMGs
- MG-1M GPMGs
- M24 SWS Bolt-action rifles
- HK MP7 SMG
- DsHK HMG (Heavy machine gun)
- RPG (Rocket-propelled grenade launcher)
4.2 Vehicles
Apart from using regular pickup trucks to move their soldiers around the Danab Brigades also use armoured personnel carriers. The US Army donated a number of Puma M26-15 4×4 APCs to the unit in order to boost the Brigades’ operations against al-Shabaab. [Source]
4.3 Armor and Kit
Apart from using plate-carriers and carrying equipment the Brigades also use a number of specialised equipment. This includes a variety of Night vision goggles (NVGs). This includes L3Harris Pvs31A NVG’s and also AN/PVS-7 NVG’s.
5.0 Tactical-Operational Information
The Danab Brigades are a commando unit of the Somali National Army and therefore their tactics and operational capabilities are aimed at quick strikes and raids. Training of the group is aimed at preparing the Brigades’ operators for guerilla warfare and urban/rural environments. [Source]
5.1 Operations
The Brigades have been a part of several notable operations in Somalia:
- Darusalam village – In May 2017, SEAL Team 6 alongside Danab commandos targeted a local leader known as Abdirahman Mohamed Warsame or Mahad Karate. The raid occurred in an area on the Shebelle River called Barii about 64 km from Mogadishu and resulted in the death of one of the SEALs. [Source, source]
- Operation Lion Hunt – in 2017, alongside the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union troops the Danab Brigades attempted to cut off al-Shabaab from Mogadishu. They successfully cleared al-Shabaab from the town of Bariire but were unable to hold the town and 12 Danab soldiers died. [Source]
- Bukure – In 2022 Danab Brigade operators engaged al-Shabaab fighters in the village of Bukure after the militants torched homes and shops. This resulted in the death of 60 al-Shabaab militants. [Source]
5.2 Personnel size
The Danab Brigades have undergone a rapid growth in the amount of personnel over the previous 10 years since their foundation in 2014. Originally conceived of to be a battalion (1000 soldiers) they have now been expanded to a brigade-sized force and now number around 3000-4000 soldiers. There are currently plans to increase the size of the Denab Brigades due to its success against al-Shabaab. [Source, source]
6.0 Conclusion
The Danab Brigades are the Somali National Army’s premier fighting force in the fight against al-Shabaab. They have been used to carry out successful raids all over Somalia and have severely degraded al-Shabaab’s capabilities. Due to US support, the group has become an increasingly lethal fighting force with limited influence from the clan system which mires many of the SNA’s other units with problems. If the unit can sustain operations against al-Shabaab then that, alongside US support, could potentially transform the unit into the premier anti-terror unit in the region.
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