Somalia annuls agreements with the UAE over alleged sovereignty violations

Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
11h ago
Somalia cancelled all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, citing actions it says undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, unity, and political independence.
Somalia annuls agreements with the UAE over alleged sovereignty violations
A What happened
Somalia severed all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, annulling deals covering port operations, security cooperation, and defence. Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the decision was based on “reliable reports and evidence” of practices linked to the UAE that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity, and political independence. Somalia’s immigration authority announced an investigation into what it called the “unauthorised use of Somalia’s national airspace and airports”. Somaliland’s Minister of the Presidency Khadar Hussein Abdi rejected Mogadishu’s authority and said the UAE is a trusted friend of Somaliland.

Key insights

  • 1

    Somalia links the cancellation to sovereignty and unity concerns: Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the decision relied on “reliable reports and evidence” of practices linked to the UAE that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity, and political independence.

  • 2

    Somalia’s federal structure creates uncertainty about implementation: Somalia’s federal system grants member states significant autonomy, and it was not clear if member states would abide by the decision.

  • 3

    Somaliland rejects Mogadishu’s authority and affirms ties with the UAE: Somaliland’s Minister of the Presidency Khadar Hussein Abdi said Mogadishu’s decision changes nothing and called the UAE a trusted friend of Somaliland.

Takeaways

Somalia has cancelled all agreements with the UAE and launched an investigation into alleged unauthorised use of Somalia’s airspace and airports, while Somaliland rejected Mogadishu’s authority and defended its relationship with the UAE.

Topics

World & Politics International Affairs Diplomacy Governance Security & Defense

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