Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has publicly defended the Somali Cabinet’s move to sever diplomatic, security, and cooperation ties with the United Arab Emirates, terming it as a necessary step to protect Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity.
The decision, passed on Monday following an emergency cabinet session, nullifies all existing agreements between Somalia and the UAE, including port, defense, and security cooperation deals.
“I want to make it clear to the Somali people that our relationship with the United Arab Emirates was entered into by us in good faith, with goodwill and openness of heart,” President Mohamud said in a national address. “Unfortunately, the Government of the United Arab Emirates did not act as a sovereign and responsible state.”
According to the President, Somali authorities concluded that Emirati actions inside the country went beyond agreed frameworks and, in some cases, were carried out without the knowledge or consent of the federal government.
“They engaged in actions that were at times carried out without the knowledge of the Federal Government of Somalia and implemented inside Somalia,” Mohamud stated. “These actions constituted a violation of the dignity and sovereignty of our nation.”
Even as the cabinet resolution formally terminated all bilateral security and defense agreements with the United Arab Emirates including cooperation linked to the strategic ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo, Somali authorities moved further by annulling all agreements with the UAE.
These include port management deals as well as defense and security cooperation arrangements, with Mogadishu accusing the Gulf state of undermining Somalia’s national sovereignty.
Following what officials described as “extensive deliberation and thorough evaluation,” the cabinet determined that maintaining cooperation with the UAE posed a direct risk to Somalia’s independence.
“It became unavoidable to take the decision announced yesterday to nullify the agreements between us and the Government of the United Arab Emirates,” President Mohamud said. “These decisions are based on the defense of national interests, the sovereignty of our country, and the preservation of our territorial unity.”
Despite the Somali government’s announcement, the Dubai-owned ports and logistics giant DP World said on Tuesday that its operations at Berbera port located in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland were continuing under existing agreements, highlighting the legal and political complexities surrounding port governance in the region.
DP World’s statement comes amid rising regional tensions and underscores the longstanding dispute between Somalia’s federal government and Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but remains internationally unrecognized.
Somalia’s leadership emphasized that the move was not taken lightly, but rather as a defensive measure rooted in national interest and state authority.
“The Federal Government of Somalia will take various measures related to the defense of our sovereignty,” President Mohamud warned. “No one will be exempt when it comes to defending national unity and sovereignty.”
He concluded with a forceful declaration aimed at both domestic and international audiences: “Once again, we say loudly and clearly: Somalia belongs to Somalis.”
Regional Implications
The rupture with the UAE is expected to have far-reaching geopolitical implications, given Abu Dhabi’s extensive economic and security footprint in Somalia and across the Horn of Africa.
Somali politicians have also backed the decision adding that it reflects Mogadishu’s determination to reassert centralized authority over foreign engagements, particularly in sensitive sectors such as ports and security, at a critical moment in Somalia’s state-building process.
As of Tuesday, there was no official response from the UAE government to Somalia’s decision.