Security
Somali Soldiers Detained in Ethiopia Amid Reports of Sudan Deployment Training
Il Sole 24 Ore · last week · Read the Full Story on Il Sole 24 Ore
AI SUMMARY
The detention of hundreds of Somali soldiers in Jijiga has exposed a sensitive military training program funded by Saudi Arabia, raising questions over whether recruits are destined for the war in Sudan.
- Hundreds of Somali soldiers were detained by Ethiopian regional police in Jijiga between late August and early September 2026.
- Estimates of the number of detained soldiers range from approximately 180 to 900 men.
- The detained troops are part of a 3,000-strong contingent stationed at the Hanano camp in Galmudug, central Somalia.
- Somalia's National Security Adviser, Aways Haji Yusuf, stated that the soldiers were on authorized leave and traveling through Ethiopia to avoid al-Shabaab-controlled roads.
- Regional media reports indicate that Saudi Arabia is funding a military training program involving over 5,000 Somali recruits.
- Training cycles are reportedly facilitated by military contractors from Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, and Colombia, alongside Sudanese instructors.
- Regional outlets report that these recruits may be deployed to Sudan to support the Sudanese Armed Forces, though these claims remain unverified.
- Reports suggest that recruitment efforts are expanding to include minors from the Tigray region.
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