Over 200 Somali Soldiers Detained in Dire Dawa for Over a Month Returned Home

Over 200 Somali soldiers, who had been detained in Ethiopia for over a month, returned to their home country on Sunday, October 25, 2026, according to Elbarde district administrator Abdirahman Keyre. The soldiers were initially detained in the Somali region while traveling to visit family after completing military training in the Galgaduud region, before being transferred to Dire Dawa. Somali officials explained that the detention stemmed from suspicion caused by the large, unannounced group movement through the region. Neither the Ethiopian federal government nor the Somali regional state have issued an official statement regarding the incident. Video footage from the South West State of Somalia showed local Somali regional security personnel handing over the soldiers to Somali authorities. All soldiers have been released, except for one female soldier who remained in Jijiga due to childbirth.