Somalia names new army chief to replace General Rage in major reshuffle

Somalia’s Council of Ministers has appointed Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmud as the new Commander of the Somali National Army (SNA), according to an official statement from the Office of the Somali Prime Minister read out by government spokesperson Abdinasir Ahmed Bashir.

The appointment follows the dismissal of General Odowa Yusuf Rage, a decision made during a Cabinet meeting in Mogadishu on Thursday.

More about the new army chief

General Brahim Mohamed Mohamud Hassan was born in 1995 and graduated from the Turkish Military Academy in Ankara, Faculty of Public Administration (5-year programme), where he studied from 2013 to 2017.

Upon graduation, he served as Turksom company commander for a one-year period from 2018 to 2019.

Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmud is a senior military officer with 18 years of service and holds postgraduate-level university education.

Before his promotion, he served as Commander of the Somali National Army General Support Command, a position he assumed in June 2024 following a Presidential Decree issued by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on the recommendation of the Minister of Defense.

The decree was part of a broader initiative to restructure and strengthen the operational capacity of the Somali National Army, including the formal establishment of the General Support Command.

In that role, General Ibrahim oversaw logistics, technical support, military supplies, and transportation, ensuring that frontline units received sustained operational support.

The outgoing chief’s legacy

Before his dismissal, General Odowa had been reappointed in November 2024 as Army Commander during an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers, replacing Brigadier General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhiyadin Addow, who had assumed the role in June 2023.

General Odowa previously served as SNA commander from 2019 to June 2023. During his most recent tenure, he led an intensified military campaign against Al Shabab terrorists and played a central role in the transition of security responsibilities from African Union forces to Somali-led units, a key pillar of the federal government’s security strategy.

General Odowa began his military career in 2006, undergoing one year of military training in Uganda, where he studied military law and VIP protection. He later served as an instructor for newly recruited Somali troops deployed to Uganda, while continuing to build operational expertise.

In 2013, he was selected for advanced military training in Türkiye, completing a year-long program in infantry command, battlefield tactics, leadership development, and foreign-language instruction. Upon returning to Somalia, he was promoted to Captain and later Major, receiving commendations for operational performance.

In 2014, he undertook senior-level professional military education at the Turkish Army War College, further strengthening his strategic planning, command, and operational leadership skills.

The leadership changes at the helm of the SNA come at a time when Somalia is seeking to consolidate battlefield gains and stabilize its security architecture, signaling a renewed focus on professionalizing the armed forces and ensuring sustained operational readiness.