Mogadishu Accuses Abu Dhabi of Undermining National Unity Amid Dispute Over Breakaway Regions.
Somalia has formally annulled all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, ending cooperation on ports, security and defence after accusing Abu Dhabi of actions that undermine its unity and sovereignty.
In the wake of Monday’s Council of Ministers decision, Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the action followed “reliable reports and evidence” of practices associated with the United Arab Emirates that threaten Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and political independence.
The move appears tied to Israel’s December recognition of Somaliland, a self-declared region that seceded from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognised internationally.
The UAE declined to endorse a joint Arab-Islamic statement in December condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland but, on January 7, reaffirmed its support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability in a joint statement with the African Union.
According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, UAE investments in East Africa total an estimated $47bn, representing about 60% of Gulf capital inflows to the region.
The move follows reports that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, travelled to the UAE through Somaliland’s Berbera port on January 8 after refusing Saudi-led talks in Riyadh.
