EUCAP Somalia Training Programme Raises Questions Over Transparency and Results

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The graduation of 10 Federal Darwish officers from a new EUCAP Somalia leadership course has renewed questions over whether years of international security training are producing measurable improvements or simply adding another chapter to Somalia’s long-running cycle of externally funded capacity-building programmes.

EUCAP Somalia said the officers completed a Platoon Leaders Course between August 30 and September 10, covering leadership, human rights, gender, conflict management, policing and anti-corruption.

But critics say the latest announcement provides little evidence of what previous training programmes have achieved on the ground, how the performance of graduates is independently assessed, or whether the growing number of courses is translating into stronger and more accountable Somali security institutions.

The questions come despite EUCAP’s own emphasis on accountability, transparency and Somali ownership.

Just days before the latest course was announced, EUCAP said its strategy was moving “from training individuals to strengthening institutions” and toward Somali-owned capability. However, critics argue that such claims must be matched by publicly available evidence showing how programmes are selected, implemented and evaluated.

The EU mission has already overseen several Federal Darwish training cycles, with hundreds of officers graduating under programmes supported by EUCAP. In April, the mission announced that more than 400 Federal Darwish officers had completed training under its supervision, while subsequent programmes have continued to focus on producing Somali trainers and commanders.

Yet concerns remain over whether the repeated graduation of new cohorts has been accompanied by sufficient transparency regarding deployment, retention, operational performance and accountability.

Under its current mandate, EUCAP Somalia is tasked with advising, training and equipping the Federal Somali Police Force, particularly the Federal Darwish, while also supporting legal and institutional reforms and maritime security. The European Union allocated more than €110 million to cover the mission’s activities from January 2025 until February 2027.

Critics say that level of investment requires stronger public reporting on results.

They argue that announcements highlighting the number of trainees or the subjects covered during short courses do not, by themselves, demonstrate lasting institutional change.

Questions have also been raised over how trainees are selected, whether training outcomes are independently evaluated and what mechanisms exist to determine whether graduates are applying the principles of human rights, accountability and anti-corruption after deployment.

The issue is particularly important for the Federal Darwish, which EUCAP describes as a stabilisation force expected to operate in challenging environments, including areas affected by conflict and insecurity.

“Training alone is not the same as institutional reform,” critics argue, warning that Somalia risks becoming dependent on a revolving system of foreign-funded courses unless international partners can demonstrate that their programmes are producing sustainable and independently verifiable results.

EUCAP Somalia maintains that its mission is designed to strengthen Somali institutions and gradually transfer responsibility to national authorities. Its official mandate is scheduled to continue until February 2027.

But with less than six months remaining before that deadline, pressure is likely to grow for the mission to show more clearly what has changed after years of training, advisory support and financial investment.

For critics, the central question is no longer how many officers have completed another course.

It is whether EUCAP Somalia can demonstrate that its programmes have built security institutions capable of functioning effectively, transparently and independently once foreign support is reduced or withdrawn.

GAROWE ONLINE