Faith Nyasuguta
Somalia has officially cancelled all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, ending cooperation across key sectors including ports, security and defence, in a move that signals a sharp escalation in tensions between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi. The Somali government says the decision was taken to protect the country’s unity, sovereignty and political independence.
The decision was announced on Monday following a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Somalia’s Defence Minister, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, said the move was based on “reliable reports and evidence indicating practices linked to the United Arab Emirates that undermine the sovereignty of the Somali Republic, its national unity and political independence.” He added that the government could not ignore actions it considers harmful to the state.
Analysts say the decision is closely linked to regional developments, particularly Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December. Somaliland is a self-declared independent region in northwestern Somalia that broke away in 1991 but is not internationally recognised. According to independent Somalia analyst Abdinor Dahir, many Somalis believe the UAE played a role in facilitating Israel’s move.
“Many Somalis believe the UAE facilitated Israel’s recognition of Somaliland,” Dahir told Al Jazeera. He added that the cabinet’s decision is widely viewed as a pushback against Abu Dhabi, which is accused by critics of supporting non-state actors and separatist movements in parts of Africa, including Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UAE has repeatedly denied allegations that it arms the RSF in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
While the UAE declined to sign a joint Arab-Islamic statement condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December, it later issued a joint statement with the African Union on January 7, pledging “support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability.”
Somaliland has, over the past decade, become a major hub for Emirati commercial and security interests. One of the most significant investments is a 30-year concession at the strategic Berbera port, operated by UAE-based logistics firm DP World. A Somali government source said there is growing anger in Mogadishu over what it sees as the UAE consolidating its influence in Somalia’s breakaway and semi-autonomous regions.
The scale of Emirati involvement in the region is substantial. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies estimates that UAE investments across East Africa total about $47 billion, accounting for roughly 60 percent of all Gulf capital inflows into the region.
The fallout also comes days after Aidarous al Zubaidi, leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, reportedly travelled to the UAE via Berbera port on January 8, after refusing to attend Saudi-led talks in Riyadh. Somalia’s immigration authority later announced an investigation into what it described as the “unauthorised use of Somalia’s national airspace and airports.”
Somalia’s federal system grants significant autonomy to its member states, raising questions about whether all regions will comply with the decision. Puntland and Jubaland, both of which maintain close ties with the UAE, are already at odds with the federal government over constitutional reforms and the management of upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, Somaliland has rejected Mogadishu’s authority outright. Somaliland’s Minister of the Presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, dismissed the decision, saying, “Somalia’s daydreaming changes nothing. The UAE is a trusted friend of Somaliland. They invested in Berbera when others doubted us. We are a nation of principles, and we stand by our friends.”
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