The European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S), in partnership with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), the Somali Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), has successfully completed the Green Shield exercise.

Conducted at the General Dhagabadan Training Center outside Mogadishu, this joint exercise shows the EU’s long-standing principle: partnerships must be built on trust, co-ownership, and shared goals. Green Shield exemplifies this spirit. For the first time, Somali, European, and African forces came together not only in executing a live security drill but in jointly planning and commanding the operation—side by side, from beginning to end.

The exercise, designed to prepare for complex scenarios such as road-bombs and indirect fire attacks, reflects the increasingly sophisticated collaboration between international partners and Somali security institutions. It also highlights the growing professionalism and readiness of Somali forces, a key pillar of Somalia’s journey towards a sustainable, Somali-led security architecture.

This exercise was not just a training milestone—it was a message. It shows what can be achieved when partners truly work together. As a participant said: "We did not train for Somalia; we trained with Somalia. And that makes all the difference."

The “train-with-me” approach embodied in Green Shield represents a deliberate shift from assistance to partnership, and from presence to empowerment. It is through exercises like this that the EU’s commitment to Somali-led solutions takes tangible form, laying the groundwork for a future joint combined exercise led by Somali authorities—with the EU continuing its supportive role through mentoring and strategic guidance.

This collaboration brings more than enhanced tactical capability. It brings hope. Hope for resilient Somali institutions, for locally-driven peacebuilding, and for a future where the security of Somalia is assured by its own professional forces, supported by reliable and principled international friends.