Washington (SD) – The United States says Somali soldiers have entered Ethiopia, a claim repeatedly denied by the federal government.

Ilhan Omar, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, asked Robert F. Godec, acting US secretary of state for African affairs, about the alleged involvement of Somali forces in the Tigray conflict.

Godec responding to that question said “We are aware that Somali forces were in Ethiopia, but we cannot confirm whether they took part in the fighting, but we will confirm that,”.

Ilhan again asked Godec why the Somali troops were in Ethiopia, to which he replied, “We believe that the troops were sent to Somalia for training by Eritrea following an agreement between the two governments.”

A recent report by the United Nations Human Rights Council says troops from Somalia training at a military base in Eritrea may have participated in fighting in Tigray.

The United Nations says it has received reports that Somali forces have been spotted fighting alongside Eritrean forces in the ancient city of Aksum in Tigray.