Somalia FM denies sending troops to Libya

Somali Foreign Minister, Ahmed Isse Awad, yesterday denied media reports claiming that his country will send troops to fight in Libya.

“Our government has not and will not send its forces to fight in Libya,” Awad told a local radio station, adding that “the Somali armed forces are not mercenary forces, and Somalia does not have mercenaries.”

He described the reports as “false and baseless”.

The Somali minister also denied allegations regarding the existence of negotiations between his country and Turkey to send joint forces to Libya.

On Tuesday, media outlets loyal to Libyan renegade General, Khalifa Haftar, reported that arrangements are underway to send Somali forces to fight in Libya. The reports were widely promoted by media outlets in countries that support Haftar.

Haftar, who is backed by Egypt, the UAE, France and Russia, has recently suffered a number of defeats against the forces of the international recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which is backed by Turkey.

READ: Egypt and Somalia had warm relations in the past, but now it is lukewarm at best