Thursday December 22, 2022
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia's Defense Minister, Abdikhadir Mohamed Noor, confirmed on Wednesday that the first group of Eritrean-trained recruits arrived in Mogadishu, but he did not reveal the specific number repatriated.
During a press conference in Mogadishu on Wednesday, the minister stated that the newly trained forces would take part in operations to liberate the country from the al-Shabab group.
"Thank God, it is now possible for the first group to arrive. It is a blow for the Khawarij and all those who are hampering the country's security, "said Somalia's Defense Minister.
The minister added that the Somali government is committed to seizing back land from Al Shabaab and training Somali forces.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said subsequent groups of recruits would be repatriated in exercises expected to last until January 2023.