Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki recently visited Somali Air Force units training with the Eritrean Defence Forces (EDF) in Asmara. During the visit, President Mohamud was briefed by recruits and army commanders about the training and their general situation. Following his two-day visit to Eritrea, no further details were disclosed by either government regarding discussions between the two presidents.
This visit underscores Eritrea’s role in training Somali soldiers over the past six years. Somalia is actively rebuilding its air force after the United Nations lifted a longstanding arms embargo earlier this year. The embargo, imposed by the UN Security Council in 1992, aimed to restrict the flow of weapons to the country’s warring factions after the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, which led to a prolonged civil war in Somalia.
