Doha/Mogadishu (WDN) – Since the fall of Somalia’s central government in 1991, efforts to rebuild the Somali National Army (SNA) have trained over 40,000 troops abroad. Yet, decades later, Somalia’s army remains weakened by corruption, mismanagement, and poor leadership.
Somali soldiers who were recruited into the Qatari armed forces more than seven years ago are now at the center of a growing controversy, as reports emerge that about 300 soldiers have been transferred to Mogadishu to join the fight against Al Shabaab—without their consent and under misleading promises.
In a new twist, WardheerNews has learned that Somali soldiers trained and employed by Qatar—not Somalia—are being forcibly repatriated to Mogadishu under the pretense of joining the fight against Al Shabaab.
According to an investigation by WardheerNews, these young men were not recruited through any Somali government program, but voluntarily joined the Qatari military in 2017 and 2018 as private citizens, seeking employment abroad. At the time, Qatar was experiencing heightened tensions with the UAE and Saudi Arabia and was also ramping up military and security recruitment, in part to prepare for the 2022 World Cup.
The Somali recruits served in various branches of the Qatari military, including internal security operations during the World Cup. Many of them have worked for years under Qatar’s command, believing they were part of a stable and professional force.
That changed in early May 2025, when the first batch of these soldiers was flown to Mogadishu. They were told by the Qatari government that their deployment was temporary and that they would return to Qatar after a short mission assisting Somalia’s fight against Al Shabaab. However, once in Somalia, their passports were confiscated, and they were placed under the command of Somali and Turkish officers, effectively absorbed into the Somali National Army.
Soldiers who remain in Qatar report growing fear and anger. “We were told we would come back after four months,” one source told WardheerNews, “but now those who were sent to Mogadishu say they’re not coming back. Their IDs were taken. They’re being used without choice.”
These developments come as Somalia’s federal government faces mounting security challenges and shortages of trained troops. In recent months, it has increasingly relied on clan militias, known as Macawisley, for the fight against Al Shabaab advances.
Critics argue that the Qatari government is exploiting its authority over foreign recruits and violating international labor and military standards by forcibly transferring troops without formal discharge or legal consent. There are also allegations of deception and human rights violations, as these soldiers were never formally informed of their change in military status.
Even more troubling, some sources claim that the Somali embassy in Doha has not been of any help but facilitates these deployments, instead of protecting the rights of its citizens—many of whom now feel trapped between two governments.
The Somali soldiers still in Qatar are demanding three clear options:
1) For those who wish to join the Somali army, to do so voluntarily and under fair conditions;
2) To be officially discharged from the Qatari military and returned to their home regions in Somalia;
3) To be released from military service entirely.
“This is not just a legal issue—it’s a moral one,” said a human rights advocate familiar with the case. “These young men served Qatar faithfully for years. Now they are being misled, uprooted, and thrown into a war zone against their will.”
Many Somali residents in Qatar who spoke with WardheerNews are calling on both the Qatari and Somali governments to immediately halt any further forced deployments, return passports to those already sent to Somalia, and allow all remaining troops to make their own decisions—free of coercion.
WardheerNews