- President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Eritrea
For the first time, Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud explained why Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki refused to return Somali troops trained in his country.
"The reason Somali troops have not been returned from Eritrea is because President Isaias Afwerki refused to return them due to the country's political conflict," President Hassan Sheikh said during a meeting with the Strategic Center for and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
Hassan Sheikh went on to say that Eritrea had good intentions in training Somali forces.
According to President Hassan Sheikh, the Eritrean government not only trained but also equipped 5,000 Somali soldiers.
During Farmajo's presidency, there was conflict and political tension between the former president and opposition politicians, who repeatedly warned that the return of Somali soldiers trained in Eritrea would be used to crack down on the opposition and consolidate power. However, it is unclear which political conflict Afwerki is referring to at this time.
If Hassan Sheikh's statement is correct, it appears that Afwerki is holding Somali soldiers hostage, and the international community must intervene to free these trapped soldiers.