MOGADISHU (SD) – Somalia’s Council of presidential candidates called for the resignation of the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, accusing him of lying the nation about missing Somali nationals who were on military training in Eritrea.

In a statement, the council which brings together about 12 presidential candidates said the army recruits were deployed to fight in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

“The government led by the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has failed to share information of the missing recruits with public,” the statement reads in part.

The council said the outgoing leader should be barred from holding any public office in future.

“The current government lied the parent and recruit. The recruits were initially informed that they will be taken to Qatar to be trained as security officer for the upcoming 2022 world cup which is expected to take in Qatar,” the council said.

The Somali trainees have been undergoing training in Eritrea following a clandestine transportation to the Red Sea nation by Somali government.

Parents of the recruits have variously lamented the whereabouts of their sons most of whom left home unceremoniously in 2018.

A UN Human Rights Council report last month noted Somali nationals were fighting in Tigray while some had been spotted in the historic city of Aksum.

Prime Minister Mohamed Roble appointed a task force last month in response to the issue.