Somalia president hosts relatives of Eritrean-trained soldiers

MOGADISHU, Somalia - As a sign of appreciation and acknowledgment, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud hosted relatives of Eritrean-trained soldiers, with some having been repatriated to the country and joined the fight against Al-Shabaab Jihadists across all battlefronts in Somalia.

At the presidential palace on Friday, Hassan Sheikh briefed attendees on the repatriation process, training, and the ongoing war against Al-Shabaab in Somalia. The president, reports indicate, emphasized his pledge to ensure all the soldiers are brought back to the country to help in neutralizing the militants.

Since his victory in May 2022, Hassan Sheikh has visited the troops twice in their training camps and even assured them of timely reparations. While the figures of returnees remain sketchy, the government hinted that a number of them have since joined the Somali National Army [SNA].

There are close to 5000 young men who were recruited to Eritrea in 2019 triggering political rebellion in the country which is struggling with instability. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, the then president, is accused of clandestinely recruiting the soldiers and subsequently sending them to Eritrea without informing their families.

And Hassan Sheikh seized the opportunity to thank the relatives for their commitment to Somalia's nation-building process, noting that the government will look for ways of alleviating them from poverty. He didn't give timelines for the return of the remaining soldiers.

For the better part of November and December last year, a number of soldiers returned to the country and joined the Al-Shabaab war. At that time, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said their inclusion in the war would significantly help liberate many strategic towns across Somalia.

Sometimes in 2021, the UN Special Rapporteur to Eritrea issued a report that linked Somali soldiers training in Asmara to the Tigray massacre which left thousands of people dead. However, the governments of Ethiopia and Somalia denied the allegations, terming them "far-fetched".

Eritrea troops have been fighting alongside Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] in Tigray for the last two years much to the discontent of the international community. On Friday, the Ethiopian government claimed all foreign troops along with Amhara regional militia had left Tigray in compliance with the peace accord signed in Pretoria and Nairobi.

GAROWE ONLINE