Ethiopia detains approximately 230 Somali military trainees

Ethiopian security forces have detained approximately 230 Somali military trainees who crossed into Ethiopia’s Somali region. The trainees recently completed the Saudi-funded Xananbuure training program in Somalia’s Galmudug State.

Somalia’s National Security Adviser, Aways Haji Yusuf, stated that the soldiers were granted leave to visit family members in the neighboring region and that the Somali government was aware of their movement. However, Ethiopian regional officials report that the trainees are under investigation for entering the country without legal travel documents.

Some trainees reportedly told investigators they traveled through Ethiopian territory to avoid security threats posed by Al-Shabaab on routes within Somalia. As of the latest reports, the Ethiopian Federal Government and the Somali Embassy in Addis Ababa have not issued formal public comments regarding the detention.