MOGADISHU (SD) – Somali government transported more than 10,000 soldiers to Eritrea for training two-year, federal lawmakers confirmed the number, disputing previously figure was claimed to be 5,000.

Speaking to the media, Ms. Amina Mohamed Abdi, an MP claimed the clandestine transportation of the recruits to the Red Sea nation by Somali government took place two years ago.

Ms. Abdi demanded the government to investigate the whereabouts of the recruits most of whom left home unceremoniously in 2018.

Mid this month, over 20 lawmakers who met with dozens of parents whose sons are missing in Eritrea had formed a special desk tasked with gathering statistics and information about the Somali soldiers being trained in Eritrea.

Early this month, UN report released this month claimed Somalis took part in the ongoing conflict in Tigray region in Ethiopia.

The UN Rapporteur report on the human rights situation in Eitrea said there was credible evidence that trainees were transported to Ethiopia as part of Eritrean forces who were reinforcing Ethiopian federal and state forces.

Somalia denied the UN report that claimed thousands of Somali troops trained in Eritrea have participated in the ongoing fighting in Tigray.

Information Minister Osman Abukar Dubbe conceded that there were Somali soldiers in Eritrea but said they were training and not in active combat. Dubbe likened the situation to Somali soldiers being trained in other allied countries, like Turkey or the U.S.

Former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, along with Wadajir party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur all joined the chorus of people calling on Farmaajo to release more information to the families of soldiers.

Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said that the soldiers were essentially “sold” to Eritrea to cement Farmaajo’s political alliance with Eritrea.