About 3,000 Somali soldiers graduated from a Saudi-funded training program on Sunday at the Hananbure military camp in the central Galgadud region. The cohort represents the largest single group to complete military training inside the country since the central government collapsed in 1991. The graduation injects thousands of new troops into the Somali National Army at a time when the federal government is under increasing pressure to assume full responsibility for national security. The troops underwent nearly a year of preparation before their formal induction. Recruits gathered from across the country, with reports indicating around 2,000 originated from Puntland in northeastern Somalia, while others were drawn from other parts of the country. Throughout their time at Hananbure, the soldiers focused on combat tactics, weapons handling, military law, and the strict discipline required for frontline operations. While broad estimates place the class at just over 3,000, one account reported the number at 3,146. This cohort is part of a broader Saudi-backed initiative designed to train more than 5,000 Somali troops. A Saudi military delegation previously visited two camps in Galgadud in July, where 5,107 recruits had originally enrolled. Accounts have varied regarding the composition of the foreign instructors handling the curriculum. Earlier reports identified training teams from Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, and Colombia, whereas dispatches following Sunday's ceremony listed the instructors as coming from Romania, Ukraine, and Sudan. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud presided over the ceremony, describing the graduation as evidence of Somalia's growing capacity to train its own personnel. "These forces represent the recovery of statehood and the rebuilding of the Somali National Army," Mohamud said. He told the gathered troops that they had completed one of the longest training cycles provided to national forces, acquiring specialized skills. He added that the army has gained a force that "cannot be underestimated." The initiative reflects a deliberate shift by Mogadishu to conduct military instruction on domestic soil rather than sending large contingents of recruits abroad. In April, Mohamud announced plans to open a Defence University to further educate senior officers and military specialists. Saudi Arabia's involvement adds another partner alongside Turkey, which has run the TURKSOM military academy in Mogadishu since 2017, and the United States, which continues to support the elite Danab commandos. Somali official Fiqi described the unreleased Saudi agreement as a new chapter in defense cooperation. Expanding the national army comes amid uncertainty over the future of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The mission, which took over from ATMIS in January 2025, is scheduled to execute a phased drawdown and exit entirely by December 2029. Its capacity to operate at its current scale faces questions due to severe funding shortages. In July, the United States announced it would no longer fund United Nations logistical support for AUSSOM beyond 2026, threatening supplies of food, fuel, medical care, and transport. During the graduation, Mohamud stated that Somalia cannot rely on foreign militaries indefinitely. "The world and our friends have helped us, but our time has come — the time for us to take responsibility," he said. This handover comes as Al-Shabaab remains a major military threat. According to the International Crisis Group, the Al-Qaeda-linked group made advances during 2025 that reversed many territorial gains secured two years earlier. Holding territory requires sustained troop presence, ammunition, transport, and functioning local administration. For the federal government, the immediate hurdle following Sunday's ceremony will be managing the payroll, supplying frontline units, and establishing command structures capable of deploying the force effectively. Sustaining a force of this size will require Somalia to generate substantial domestic revenue for monthly salaries and frontline logistics, presenting a direct fiscal test for leaders in Mogadishu as international subsidies for foreign peacekeeping operations wind down.