Somalia Decries Secret Recruitment of Underage Somalis into Eritrean Military

Somali nationals are uncomfortable about allegations making the rounds that their sons are being sent to the Eritrean military.

The boys, aged between 19 and 22 are said to be going to Qatar to work, but end up in the Eritrean military against their will.

Fingers are being pointed at the government of Somalia which organised a recruitment programme for its citizens to go to Qatar.

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Parents have been complaining of receiving the news of their sons’ deaths or disturbing phone calls from their base in Eritrea.

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Last week, locals in the capital, Mogadishu and in the towns of Guriel and Galkayo went out to protest the absence of their young nationals.

Somalis have grown more worried about the situation in the northern Ethiopian region- Tigray, where Eritreans are said to be giving support to the Ethiopian forces. Fears in Somalia are palpable that their sons were recruited to face Tigrayan forces.

Eritrean Minister of Information, Yemane Meskel denied the claims and said; “This is ludicrous … There is massive disinformation floating around.”

Eritrea, sharing a border with Ethiopia has been in the news recently, for its role in the Ethiopian-Tigrayan conflict with investigations showing its military might have played a role in the conflict.

Author

  • Olayide Oluwafunmilayo Soaga is a Nigerian journalist with four years of professional experience. She reports on health, gender, education and development, with a focus on impact-driven storytelling.

    She was runner-up for the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Best Solutions Journalism Award in West Africa in 2024 and a finalist for the 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Awards.

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