Ali s son was one of three young Somali men whose families told Reuters they had been recruited by Somalia s federal government for jobs in Qatar, only to surface in Eritrea, where they were sent to serve in a military force against their will. Two other families said their sons had simply disappeared.
Anger in Somalia as sons secretly sent to serve in Eritrea military force reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Somali men forced into Eritrean army under impression they were signing up for security jobs in Qatar
The men are thought to be being sent to Tigray to fight in Ethiopia s civil war
29 January 2021 • 4:01pm
Refugees from Tigray – Ethiopia s civil war 5s believed to have sucked in neighbouring countries
Credit: Nariman El-Mofty/AP
Anger is mounting in Somalia over allegations young men are being secretly recruited and sent to Eritrea to fight in Ethiopia s civil war.
Three families told Reuters their young sons had officially been recruited by Somalia s government to work in Qatar, only to later find out they had been sent to Eritrea and forced to serve as soldiers.
Anger in Somalia as sons secretly sent to serve in Eritrea military force Reuters 1/28/2021
By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Ali Jamac Dhoodi thought his son was working as a security guard in Qatar, helping prepare for next year s soccer World Cup. Then one day last April, officials from Somalia s National Intelligence Agency arrived with $10,000 in cash.
They told him his son had died - not in Qatar, but in Eritrea, one of the world s most secretive countries. They showed me a picture from their WhatsApp and asked me, do you know this picture and his full name? I said, yes he is my son, Dhoodi, 48, told Reuters. They said to me your son died . I cried.