Somalia Cuts Ties with UAE Over Illegal Entry of Yemen Separatist

Somalia Cuts Ties with UAE Over Yemeni Separatist’s Entry

Somalia has terminated its agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the unauthorized entry of a UAE-backed Yemeni separatist leader into Somali territory through Somaliland. According to Ali Omar, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, the incident occurred on January 8 and prompted the cancellation of all deals between the two countries.

The UAE-registered cargo plane carrying Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the now-defunct Southern Transitional Council (STC), allegedly traveled from Berbera port to Mogadishu without his name being listed on the manifest. Somali authorities received the plane’s documentation but were unable to verify al-Zubaidi’s presence.

Omar stated that this incident was “the last straw” in a series of frustrations with the UAE’s conduct in Somalia. He emphasized that diplomatic efforts had failed, and the country decided to take action under its constitution.

The cancellation of agreements has exposed divisions within Somalia’s federal system, which grants significant autonomy to member states. Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but lacks international recognition, has rejected Mogadishu’s authority to cancel the agreements. Two regions with close commercial and security ties with the UAE have also rejected the decision.

Somalia had previously exhausted diplomatic channels before taking action, according to Omar. He stated that the country is “claiming its sovereignty again” and urging people to respect it. The move comes amid anger in Mogadishu over the UAE’s significant influence through large infrastructure investments in breakaway regions.

The breakdown in relations also follows Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December, a move widely condemned across Africa and the Arab world. Saudi Arabia’s efforts to stabilize Yemen have been cited as a factor in Somalia’s decision, with Omar drawing parallels between the two countries’ situations. The UAE has not commented on the allegations or Somalia’s decision to cancel agreements.

Source: Al Jazeera