Somali president heads to Eritrea to meet missing soldiers

Keydmedia Online has learned that President Hassan Sheikh has postponed his visit to Kenya as the country is in an electioneering period with Uhuru Kenyatta leaving the office after serving two terms.

News Keydmedia Online
7 July 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The president of Somalia Hassan Sheikh is headed to Asmara next week in a rare visit by an African leader to Eritrea which has long been Africa's most secretive and isolated nation.

According to information obtained by Keydmedia Online, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will be accompanied by senior Intelligence officials close to Fahad Yasin, members of the opposition alliance, and a security advisor.

The aim of the president’s trip to Asmara is to visit thousands of Somali soldiers trained in Eritrea from 2019, who had been reported missing and deployed to Tigray to help Abiy in the fight against the TPLF.

During the transfer of power, former president Farmajo announced that he handed over the file of 5,000 Somali troops in Eritrea who were ready to be deployed back home after three years in training camps.

Last year, the UN has reported that Somali forces were spotted in Axum, Tigray fighting with Eritrean and Ethiopian military soldiers against the TPLF, a claim that Farmajo’s administration has strongly denied.

Keydmedia Online has learned that President Hassan Sheikh has postponed his visit to Kenya as the country is in an electioneering period with Uhuru Kenyatta leaving the office after serving two terms.

Mohamud’s Asmara trip will be his third since his election on May 15. He visited UAE and Turkey, where he is now returning.

The current government has promised to bring the troops in Eritrea back to Mogadishu soon to take part in the planned military operations to drive Al-Shabaab out of the entire Horn of Africa country.

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