The sources differed on the number of Somali troops who have been in Eritrea; the range was 3,000 to 7,000 recruits. Somalia’s information minister, Osman Abukar Dubbe, said in January that some Somali soldiers were training in Eritrea. Regional significanceThe Somali soldiers’ training in Eritrea comes amid closer regional cooperation among the leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. Last October, Farmajo visited the Eritrea training camps, two of the officials confirmed. He said the Eritrea training did not concern him but the operation's lack of transparency did.

Source: Ethiopian News February 19, 2021 21:33 UTC