MOGADISHU, Jan 12 (Horndiplomat) Somalia’s Council of Ministers said on Monday it had withdrawn from defence and security cooperation agreements with the United Arab Emirates after an emergency cabinet meeting, a move that has sharpened tensions with the Republic of Somaliland and highlighted widening diplomatic rifts in the Horn of Africa.
In a statement, the cabinet said it had annulled all existing bilateral security and defence cooperation agreements with the UAE and cancelled wider arrangements linked to ports including Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo. The decision followed what Somalia described as strong reports and evidence of actions undermining its sovereignty, unity and political independence.
The Mogadishu government said such actions violated principles of non-interference and constitutional order under international and regional charters, and instructed the foreign ministry to formally notify the UAE and brief international partners.
Somaliland officials rejected Mogadishu’s claims, saying Somalia has never exercised authority in Berbera, the strategic Red Sea port that has been developed in recent years through Emirati-backed investment.
“Somalia’s daydreaming changes nothing. Berbera is the birthplace of our President, and the UAE is a trusted friend of Somaliland,” Khadar Hussein Abdi, Somaliland’s Minister of the Presidency, said in a post on X. “They invested in Berbera when others doubted us, today everyone is talking about Berbera. We are a nation of principles, and we stand by our friends. The UAE is here to stay, no matter what a weak administration in Mogadishu says.”
Since reasserting its sovereignty in 1991, Somaliland has built functioning state institutions, maintained internal security and overseen multiple peaceful democratic transitions, distinguishing it from much of the wider region. Somaliland argues that its record of stability, democratic elections and effective control over its territory gives it the right to pursue independent foreign relations and investment partnerships. Officials in Hargeisa say Mogadishu’s decision underscores the limits of Somalia’s authority beyond areas under its control.
The dispute comes as Somaliland builds momentum following Israel’s formal recognition, a development that has reinvigorated debate over the territory’s international status. Somaliland officials and regional diplomats say the UAE, already a key investor and security partner, could become the next country to recognise Somaliland, although no official announcement has been made.
Somalia’s move also reflects a broader realignment in its foreign policy. Mogadishu has drawn closer to Saudi Arabia, while facing reported pressure from Turkey, a long-standing ally with a major military base and deep economic interests in Somalia.
Analysts say competition among Middle Eastern powers is increasingly shaping security and diplomacy across the Horn of Africa, with Somaliland’s expanding international engagement emerging as a central fault line.
