Somalia Severs UAE Agreements After Somaliland Entry Sparks Sovereignty Row

Mogadishu (Sahan Post):— Somalia has cancelled all agreements except non-civilian flight with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of repeated violations of its sovereignty after a UAE-backed Yemeni separatist leader entered Somali territory via the breakaway region of  North Western of Somalia, officials said.

The move follows the alleged unauthorized arrival on January 8 of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC), who Somali authorities say travelled on a UAE-registered aircraft without appearing on the flight manifest. Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, Ali Omar, described the incident as “the last straw” after what he called years of unresolved grievances with the Gulf state.

Somalia’s Council of Ministers said the decision annuls deals covering port operations, security cooperation and defence. An investigation has been launched into the alleged misuse of Somali airspace and airports.

Officials stress the rupture reflects deeper tensions rather than a single episode. Mogadishu has long accused the UAE of bypassing the federal government by engaging directly with regional autonomous like Puntland and Somaliland regions, where Emirati firms have invested heavily in ports and infrastructure. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Emirati investments in Somalia total about $47bn, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s expansive regional footprint.

“We tried diplomacy and it did not work,” Omar said, framing the decision as part of a broader effort to reassert state authority and insist on state-to-state relations.

The fallout is unfolding against a shifting regional backdrop. Somalia’s stance aligns more closely with Saudi Arabia, which has moved to curb the influence of the UAE-backed STC in Yemen, highlighting growing divergences within the Gulf over Red Sea and Horn of Africa politics. Somali officials deny acting under Saudi pressure but acknowledge converging interests.

Relations were further strained after Israel recognised part of Norther Western Regions of Somalia in December, a move widely criticised in Mogadishu and seen by Somali officials as enabled by UAE diplomacy, an allegation Abu Dhabi has not addressed. While the UAE later joined an African Union statement backing Somalia’s territorial integrity, Somali officials remain sceptical.

Somalia argues that international recognition of part of Somalia risks encouraging separatist movements elsewhere on the continent. Omar said internal divisions within these regions itself weaken the case for independence, warning that reports of a potential Israeli military presence there could destabilise an already fragile region.

The UAE has not publicly responded to Somalia’s allegations or the cancellation of agreements. For Mogadishu, the decision signals a sharper, more assertive foreign policy as it seeks to consolidate sovereignty after decades of fragmentation.

Sahan Post

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