Somalia: President Hassan Sheikh makes his second trip to Eritrea

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At mid-afternoon on Thursday, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud touched down in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, a country which is increasingly under scathing attacks over alleged impunity in the Horn of Africa where instability is slowly becoming the order of the day.

From alleged involvement in the Tigray atrocities where thousands of people are believed to have died in a span of two years, to crack down on local rebels, to clandestinely training Somali soldiers for over three years, all has not been well for strongman Isaias Afwerki, whose three decades tyrannical rule has caused ripples.

But for Hassan Sheikh, Thursday's trip to Asmara would likely face tough questions at home, owing to the fact that four months ago, barely a month after his election victory, he visited the Horn of Africa nation where he gave an update on young soldiers who have been training for 3 years.

"President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan S. Mohamud, arrived in Asmara in mid-afternoon hours today for an official four-day visit to the country," said Yemane Meskel, Eritrea's information minister. "The President and his delegation were accorded warm welcome by Pre. Isaias on their arrival at Asmara International Airport."

The soldiers were first taken to Eritrea in 2019 during the former administration of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, but their presence would be known to the public last year following an expose by Garowe Online. At first, they were told that the training would take place in Qatar only for it to be mysteriously shifted to Asmara.

While in Eritrea in July, Hassan Sheikh did visit most of the troops in their training bases where he even facilitated a number of them to speak to their families. A jovial Hassan Sheikh pledged to repatriate them to Somalia and subsequently, integrate them with their colleagues in SNA.

However, to date, the federal government of Somalia has remained mum about their plight, only for the president to return to Eritrea again. So far, it is not clear where Hassan Sheikh's itinerary includes visiting the soldiers again and facilitating them back home to reconnect with their families.

At Eritrea in July, Afwerki and Hassan Sheikh signed a security and defense memorandum based on historical and fraternal ties and common interests they share and on the recognition that the successful fight against terrorism in Somalia is a “prerequisite for peace, stability, and security, not only in Somalia but in the Horn of Africa.”

VOA Somali reported the number of Somali troops trained in Eritrea at 5,167, a figure later confirmed by former president of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who sent the troops to Eritrea. They have been undergoing specialized training including Naval training since 2019.

The training of the soldiers was a clandestine operation hidden from the public and the media. The program was criticized by Somali parents of the soldiers and opposition politicians. Some claimed they were dead, leading to the viral nature of the story.

It attracted controversy after unverified media reports alleged their participation in the conflict in Tigray, a claim strongly denied by the previous Somali government. VOA Somali did not find evidence backing their alleged link to the Tigray war.

Days after taking over, Hassan Sheikh's government said that “some” Somali soldiers died during the training, and “some” died of natural causes. No exact figure was given, but some of the soldiers who defected last year gave mixed figures, with one deserter reporting that four died, and a second soldier saying seven soldiers died.

According to one soldier who deserted and arrived in Somalia in July of last year, one died of dehydration from severe diarrhea, one was electrocuted and a third drowned in a lake while escaping from Eritrean guards.

Ali Said Faqi, the Somali ambassador to the European Union and current member of parliament who is among just a few Somali officials to visit the soldiers’ training camp in late 2019, said the troops received “tough training” and most of them were trained as special forces. He said the original plan was that Eritrea would train them and arm them.

“That was the plan, and I believe that is still the decision,” he said. Faqi said it’s the new president’s call to determine a policy of operation and decide how specifically the soldiers will be deployed.

“They can participate in the fight against terrorism; they can participate in opening the highway between Afgoye and Baidoa; they can participate in the opening of the highway between Mogadishu and Kismayo,” he said. “These are young people who obtained the best military training.”

It is highly anticipated back at home that once Hassan Sheikh leaves Asmara, he would have solved the impasse in line with his election pledges and most significantly, avoid the second wave of the conflict. It is expected that soldiers will immediately be going to the Somali National Army in the ongoing operation against Al-Shabaab.

For several months, the SNA soldiers with the assistance from US Africa Command, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS], and local militia, have managed to liberate several villages from the militants. The presence of Eritrea-trained troops will give the much-needed reinforcement as the country unleashes against the terror group.

GAROWE ONLINE