MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Turkey is preparing to send hundreds of mercenaries from the private military firm Sadat—often dubbed “Turkey’s Wagner”—to bolster Somalia’s defense against an escalating militant offensive closing in on the capital, Mogadishu.
The deployment follows an urgent appeal by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who last week requested 3,000 mercenaries to help repel insurgent advances in the strategic Middle Shabelle region, a key battleground bordering Mogadishu.
Sadat, which already has operatives training Somali forces, will station additional personnel in the capital and Middle Shabelle region to reinforce government troops.
Beyond combat operations, the mercenaries will also secure a planned Turkish missile testing site along the region’s coast—a project Ankara is pushing despite fierce resistance from Al-Shabaab militants contesting federal control.
The move underscores Turkey’s deepening military footprint in Africa as it expands its influence in Somalia, where it operates its largest overseas base.
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