Families of Eritrean-trained Somali soldiers demonstrated in the capital Mogadishu to express their joy after the first public appearance of their sons who had been cut off for two years.
The demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Today is a great day,” and expressed their feeling of great happiness, and praised the President of the Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, who paid an official visit to Eritrea and one of its most important goals was to discuss returning soldiers to Somalia with the Eritrean government.
The demonstrators stated that the government of former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo did not listen to their complaints, expressing the high hopes they pin on the efforts made by President Hassan Sheikh to return the soldiers to their homes.
The issue of about 5,000 soldiers secretly sent by the previous government to Eritrea to receive training was a matter of controversy in the political arena in Somalia during the past two years. The new Hassan Sheikh, who stated that one of his priorities is to return the soldiers who are in Eritrea to the country.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud concluded today his four-day visit to Eritrea, during which he met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and signed several agreements with him to enhance cooperation and relations between Somalia and Eritrea. During his visit, President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud visited the headquarters of the camps of Somali soldiers who received military training in Eritrea.
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