Tuesday July 9, 2024
Nairobi (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki visited Somali Air Force units undergoing training with the Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) in Asmara on Tuesday.
According to Somali government officials, President Mohamud received reports from recruits and army commanders regarding the training process and their general situation. After the inspection, President Mohamud concluded his two-day working visit to Eritrea.
However, neither the Somali nor Eritrean governments provided further details about the discussions between the two presidents.Eritrea has trained thousands of soldiers for Somalia over the past six years.
The Somali government is rebuilding its air force after the United Nations lifted an arms embargo earlier this year. The UN Security Council imposed the embargo on Somalia in 1992 to curb the flow of weapons to feuding warlords who had ousted dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre, plunging the Horn of Africa country into civil war.