Somali Militia for National Security (Italian Empire)

Somali Militia for National Security
Maleeshiyo Soomaali Amniga Qaranka ee
The M.V.S.N. emblem
Active	1969 - present
Country	Somali Social Republic
Allegiance	Italian Empire
Branch	M.V.S.N.
Role	Defence militia
Size	40,000
Part of	M.V.S.N.
Headquarters	Mogadiscio
Commanders
Current commander	Lt. Gen. Italo Terlizzi

The Somali Militia for National Security (Somali: Maleeshiyo Soomaali Amniga Qaranka ee, M.S.A.Q.; Italian: Milizia Somala per la Sicurezza Nazionale, M.S.S.N.) is the branch of the M.V.S.N. raised and garrisoned in the Somali Social Republic.

History

Historically, Somali society accorded prestige to the warrior (waranle) and rewarded military prowess. Except for a man of religion, and they were few in number, all Somali males were considered potential warriors. As a result, a culture of military readiness flourished, even in absence of standing armies.

Conquest of the Empire

The history of the Somali Militia for National Security is the direct continuation of the M.V.S.N., whose origins in Somalia date back to the Conquest of Ethiopia. In order to prepare the Conquest of the Empire, the M.V.S.N. established seven CC.NN. Divisions. In particular, the 6th CC.NN. Division "Tevere" was based in Somalia. Its order of battle was:

• 219th CC.NN. Legion;
• 220th CC.NN. Legion;
• 221st CC.NN. Legion;
• 321st CC.NN. Legion;
• VI CC.NN. University Battalion "Curtatone e Montanara";
• VI CC.NN. Reserves Battalion;
• VI Artillery Group (Royal Army);
• 6th Special Engineering Company (M.V.S.N. and Royal Army);
• Administration Office;
• 6th Health Section;
• 6th Supplies Section;
• 6th Car Unit;
• 6th Division Supplies Unit.

From the Conquest of the Empire to the African War

At the end of the war, many Blackshirt units remained in East Africa as colonial police and counter-insurgency. In 1936, after the end of hostilities, the M.V.S.N. was expanded in Italian East Africa:

• Forest Militia: in addition to the nine national legions, a Forest Militia legion was established on five nuclei, with forest askaris, in Italian East Africa;
• Railway Militia: 15th Railway Legion "Luigi Razza", mobilized for service in Somalia and stationed in Mogadiscio;
• Colonial Militia: 5th Africa Legion "Luigi Razza" stationed in Mogadiscio, within the 1st African Legion Group;
• Port Militia: Autonomous Detachment of Mogadiscio;

In Somalia, the Somali Cohort of the Ordinary Militia was established in 1938. In 1939, an Autonomous Group of Coastal Artillery and an Autonomous Group of Anti-aircraft Artillery were established in Mogadiscio.

All M.V.S.N. forces in Italian East Africa were under commands encompassing the entirety of Italian possessions in East Africa.

African War

The 1939 organisation lasted for 11 years. At the outbreak of the African War, the Somali M.V.S.N. generated five CC.NN. Battalions: DV, DVI, DLXXXV, and DCXXXI CC.NN. Battalions. These Battalions were grouped within the VII CC.NN. Battalions Group.

The East African Front was a secondary theatre. Italian forces made only limited attacks on British and French Somaliland. After April 1951, the Italian Armed Forces retreated within the East African Redoupt, and from there repulsed Anglo-French offensives.

After the War

The M.V.S.N. which emerged from the African War was significantly different from its pre-war organisation. In the Somali territory, 5 standing Africa Legions were garrisoned, including in former British Somaliland and Giubuti. Ordinary Militia and its branches were also reinforced in order to provide security and support to operating troops.

In 1961, immediately after the establishment of the Somali Gendarmerie, the Colonial M.V.S.N. in Somalia was merged with other P.N.F. Italian and local security services, and the Askarta Jamhuuriga Qaranka was created as Somali branch of the Italian National Royal Guard.

In 1962 the unified government of Italian East Africa was disestablished and pre-1936 borders were restored. Italian Somaliland was transformed into Special Government Region "Somalia", and government institutions were reformed accordingly. The M.V.S.N. participated to this process by establishing an Higher Command "Somalia" in Mogadiscio. This new Command brought under its control all M.V.S.N. units of all specialities and branches.

In 1968 the Somali Social Republic was established. In August 1969, the government established the Somali Militia for National Security as the Militia force in charge for both M.V.S.N.-related duties and for overseeing the Askarta Jamhuuriga Qaranka.

1990s - present

The 1993 Somali Crisis saw the whole Somali Militia for National Security involved in the repression of Mohamed Farrah Aidid's insurgency. Some units dispersed and some other defectet to Aidid, sometimes according to clan cleveages.

Nowadays, troops are almost exclusively of Somali ethnicity, while officers are drawn from Italian Somalis and Somalis. The current Commander is Major General Abdulkadir Sheikh Dini (Somali: Cabdulkaadir Sheekh Diini, Arabic:عبد القادر الشيخ ضئنئ‎), who took office in 2013, after the killing in a bomb attack of the previous Commander, Major General Said Dheere Mohamed (Somali: Saciid Dheere Maxamed, Arabic: سعيد محمد دهيري‎).

Mission

The Somali Militia for National Security have a popular social base, and their objective is to defend Somalia from threats of military aggression and the protection of civilian targets against actions by terrorist groups.

Peacetime role

In times of peace, the militia's primary responsibility is to act as a "shock force" in production. Individual Legionnaires are to lead the production effort by acting as model workers in their industrial or agricultural work units. Militia units are periodically mobilized to carry out high-priority, labor-intensive production tasks such as farmland capital construction.

Legionnaires also guard factories, warehouses, mines, bridges, and railways in addition to insuring the security of their own worksites. In society at large, the Militia is empowered to assist (but not to replace) Somali Gendarmerie personnel in maintaining social order by "exposing subversive elements" and apprehending criminals. Beyond this, however, it serves a far larger purpose, for because of its vast social and geographical dispersion, the militia provides the single most effective vehicle available to the Somali authorities for the political education.

The military mission of Somali Militia for National Security in times of peace is to prepare for war through individual and unit combat training. Yet militia units also perform important peacetime duties in support of regular forces of the A.J.Q. and the Italian Army. Legionnaires may participate with the A.J.Q. in the patrolling and surveillance of coastal and border areas. Legionnaires units in these areas are mobilised to assist the regular forces in the construction of defence works. Militia antiaircraft artillery units provide a major portion of the air defense for urban and industrial centres. The militia also constitutes the reservoir of manpower from which the A.J.Q. can recruit. Moreover, since all those demobilized from the A.J.Q. are required to join the militia, the militia provides a source of trained and experienced veterans who can be called back into service with the regular forces in the event of war. Thus, the militia effectively performs a reserve function.

Wartime role

In wartime, the primary role of the Militia is to ensure, alongside with the Somali Gendarmerie, the military forces' freedom of movement on the roads, including in population centres. The Militia as constitutes reserves for the A.J.Q. and performs more limited military operations.

Branches

The Somali Militia for National Security includes five branches:

• 1,500-man Mobile Militia: tasked with Gendarmerie support and quick intervention;
• 20,000-man People's Militia: tasked with village guard duties as well as mobile herd protection. It is organised along territorial and clan lines with dedicated Regional and State commands;
• 8,000-man Special Militia: tasked with specialist service and support to Somali Gendarmerie;
• 8,000-man Reserve Militia: tasked with primary reserve duties;
• 1,500-woman Somali Female Auxiliary Service.

Mobile Militia

From the ranks of the People's Militia is recruited a special category, the Mobile Militia. This is the elite of the militia. Mobile Militia Legionnaires are younger (16 to 25) than ordinary Legionnaires militiamen, must have a properly "patriotic" family background, and must have demonstrated both exemplary "national consciousness" and good military aptitude.

Although the Mobile Militia is basically an infantry force, it does have specialist units. Most such units function as an integral part of and provide support to larger Mobile Militia formations. From the Mobile Militia units, depending on conditions, specialized teams such as artillery, communications, reconnaissance, chemical warfare, engineer, anti-tank, and sea and air, etc., may be organized. Many specialized militia units draw on the training and experience of technicians from civilian industry.

If a Legionnaire of the Mobile Militia does not become at least a subofficer, he reverts to the People's Militia at age 25. People's Militia Legionnaires leave the militia completely at 45. These age limits can be extended. A large proportion of Mobile Militia Legionnaires are Lictor Youth and Party members, as well as demobilized A.J.Q. Legionnaires. Armed militia units normally receive several weeks' training each year.

People's Militia

The People's Militia staffs the government and party orientation centres that are located in every settlement in Somalia. The People's Militia aids in self-help programs, encourages "revolutionary progress," provides community services, such as assisting in literacy and vaccination campaigns, promotes and defends Somali culture, and fights laziness, misuse of public property, and "subversive" ideas and actions.

Moreover, the People's Militia acts as a law enforcement agency that performs duties such as checking contacts between Somalis and foreigners. The militia also has powers of arrest independent of the Somali Gendarmerie. In rural areas, Legionnaires form "vigilance corps" that guard grazing areas and towns.

The People's Militia provides security at the neighborhood level. People's Militia units, which exist in every town and village, ensure loyalty to the Fascist regime by encouraging people to spy on each other in the work place, schools, mosques, and private homes.

Somali Female Auxiliary Service

In 1981, the government created the Somali Female Auxiliary Service. Qualified enlistees undergo a five-month period of basic training and instruction in typing, record keeping, and related subjects. During their two-year enlistment, Somali women work in a variety of positions associated with administration, personnel, and military welfare. Most Somali Female Auxiliary Service personnel serve in army headquarters in Mogadiscio or in subordinate headquarters in the field.

Organisation

Although a branch of the State, the Somali Militia for National Security works under the supervision of the Somali Fascist Party apparatus. The M.S.A.Q. also oversees the Somali National Republican Guard.

The organisation revolves around the principle of the militia under the leadership of the Somali Fascist Party, also due to the militia's primary mission defined as "defence of the Fascist Revolution". Militia Commands are in a chain of command independent of both A.J.Q. and Italian Army command structure, while being subordinated to the latter for military and military reserve duties.

Central Command

The Central Command is the command and control body of the Somali Militia for National Security. It consists of the Central Commander, appointed by the Duce upon suggestion of the Somali Fascist Party, and of the General Staff.

Central Commander

The Central Commander of the Somali Militia for National Security is an officer of the Somali Militia for National Security who, at the time of his appointment, holds the rank of Consul General. He is appointed by decree of the Duce, on the joint proposal of the Secretary of the Somali Fascist Party and of the Minister of Interior, after hearing the Commandant-General of the M.V.S.N., on which he depends. Within the Somali Militia for National Security, the Central Commander is hierarchically superior to all the General Officers and, in case of absence, impediment or vacation of the office, is replaced by the Deputy Central Commander.

The Central Commander hierarchically depends on the Commandant-General of the M.V.S.N. for administration, discipline and Empire-wide matters, but functionally depends on the Secretary of the Somali Fascist Party for what pertains to political matters as well as assistance to Somali State authorities.

The Central Commander is in charge of leading the M.S.A.Q., of deploying the Mobile Militia, and of overseeing the A.J.Q., while providing it of support services.

Chief of Staff of the Somali Militia for National Security

The Chief of Staff of the Somali Militia for National Security is a Consul General tasked of being the chief consultant and collaborator of the Central Commander, on which he directly depends. He receives from the Central Commander the directives for the activity to be carried out and directs the activities of the General Staff and defines, where necessary, the additional elements to translate the decisions of the Central Commander into orders and plans.

As Chief of Staff, he represents the Central Commander and issues orders in his name, when authorized, and has some departments and units under his direct dependencies: Health and Administration Directorates, the Secretariat, the Autonomous Unit of the General Command and the Head of the Spiritual Assistance Service (military chaplains).

Territorial organisation

The Somali Militia for National Security has both Regional and State commands in charge for carrying out different aspects of day-to-day operations of the M.S.A.Q., as well as being at the disposal of Traditional Leadership figures.

State and Regional commands control all M.S.A.Q. units within their own boundaries, but do not control A.J.Q. units. State Commands issue directives and orders to subordinate commands on matters related to affairs pertaining Traditional Leadership and directly control contingents of both Special and Reserve Militia. Regional Commands directly control the People's Militia units.

District Commands are proximity bodies for units established in each villages. In Ghedo, Bacul, Hiran and Sool, District Commands primarily serve as reference point for nomadic clan militia units.

Urban organisation

Within major cities, ward units are tasked with collecting and centralizing the information about every citizen in their ward, giving such information to local Gendarmerie, investigators for political organizations or the investigators for the intelligence apparatus.

Training

Overall responsibility for militia training rests with the Central Command, but the subordinate State and Regional Commands actually conduct it. Integration of military training with productive labour is a fundamental principle of militia work. In practice, this means that in rural areas the crop cycle dictates training, with most training concentrated in one or two sessions each year after the major harvests. Urban militia training, on the other hand, is linked to the shift cycles and production requirements of the major industrial enterprises. Consequently, training in urban areas occurs more frequently than in the ountryside, often being conducted on a daily or weekly basis.

Generally speaking, the standing military forces train the militia special branches. In turn, the special branches (especially the Reserve Miltiia) train the People's militia. Although military assistance to militia training is provided mainly by the A.J.Q., also the Italian Army (and other Armed Forces) provide assistance when required. When an Italian unit is stationed nearby, Italian training assistance is common; in areas where there is no Italian unit, the militia must rely on the A.J.Q.. In some special cases, Italian special forces (both of the State Armed Forces and of the National Royal Guard) may be detached to train individual units.

The training requirements of the People's Militia is 15-20 days per year. The People's Militia receives little formal training. What it does receive consists mainly of elementary skills like bayonet fighting and foot drill.

Training for the special branches of the militia exceeds this by a considerable amount, with 6 weeks per year being common. All special branches (Mobile, Special and Reserve) conduct training on a regularly scheduled basis according to annual training plans drawn up by relevant State Command and with a "point of emphasis" according needs expressed by the A.O.I. military command.
The standard training includes defence against tanks, aircraft, and airborne troops, with emphasis placed on defence against chemical, biological, and nuclear attack. Instruction in other techniques includes night fighting, close-quarter combat, and the basic skills.

Composition

In general, militia subofficers and commanders are selected from among Party members, Somali Lictor Youth League members, decorated soldiers. However, is given to recruiting retired A.J.Q. Legionnaires or Italian Army servicemen.

"Full-time" militia commanders are found only in the Mobile Militia and at Regional level or higher. These are the regular A.J.Q. officers who staff the Regional and State Commands. Specific responsibilities of these full-time officers are thought to include teaching the doctrine of People's War, recruiting and training militia subofficers and officers, conducting political and military training, controlling militia weapons and ammunition.

Appointments to the top political posts of militia units at all echelons are made by the secretary of the respective unit Party committee or Party branch.

Financing

The Somali Militia for National Security is supported through the M.V.S.N. and Somali Fascist Party's budget as well as through voluntary donations made by citizens. Most of these donations come from workplace contributions, which are paid through weekly deductions from workers' salaries.

Other organizations also set annual funding goals with respect to their own M.S.A.Q. contributions. Among such organizations are the National Federation of Somali Fascist Trade Unions, the Somali Youth of the Lictor, the Somali Fascist Women's Organization and the National Association of Small Farmers.

Donations collected for the M.S.A.Q. are sent to a central government account for the half of the amount; the other half is partitioned between relevant State, Regional and District Commands.

See also

• Somali National Republican Guard (Italian Empire)
• Somali Gendarmerie (Italian Empire)
• Somali Social Republic (Kingdom of Italy)