By Chatnewstv.com
MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali Federal Government has canceled all bilateral agreements with the United Arab Emirates, accusing the Gulf nation of “hostile and destabilizing actions” following the UAE’s reported role in Israel’s landmark recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
The Somali cabinet announced the decision on Jan. 12, 2024, applying the cancellation to all deals signed with the central government and its federal member states. The move specifically targets port and security agreements in Jubbaland, Puntland, and Somaliland, marking a dramatic collapse in relations between the two nations.
“The actions of the UAE are a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the cabinet said in a statement.
The diplomatic rift reached a breaking point following reports in late December 2025 that the UAE facilitated Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland—the first such recognition for the region since it declared independence in 1991. Mogadishu considers Somaliland an integral part of Somalia.
The Somali State Minister for Foreign Affairs described a recent incident involving the transport of a Yemeni political fugitive through Somali airspace as “the last straw.” On Jan. 8, the UAE reportedly transited Aidarous al Zubaidi, the leader of the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council in Yemen, through Somaliland and Mogadishu. Somali officials labeled the flight an unauthorized smuggling of a “fugitive” and have opened a formal investigation.
The fallout threatens the UAE’s strategic footprint in the Horn of Africa. If enforced, the UAE would lose access to critical military bases along the Gulf of Aden used for operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Additionally, nearly $800 million in Emirati investments in the ports of Berbera and Bossaso are now at risk.
The move also creates a logistical crisis for the UAE’s support of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s civil war. Military analysts noted that the UAE relies on Somali airspace and the port of Bossaso to transport equipment and drones to the RSF. With Saudi Arabia also reportedly denying overflight permissions to Emirati aircraft, the UAE’s supply lines to Sudan are increasingly constricted.
However, the Somali central government faces significant hurdles in enforcing the ban. Local governments in Jubbaland, Puntland, and Somaliland have issued separate statements invalidating the federal cancellation.
“We reaffirm our ability to enter into and maintain agreements separately from the federal government,” the Somaliland administration stated. DP World, the Dubai-based port operator, also indicated that its operations in the region would continue unaffected.
Security experts warn that the diplomatic break could severely hamper counterterrorism efforts. The UAE has been a key partner in the fight against al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia (ISS), providing airstrikes, training, and salaries for at least 3,400 Somali soldiers.
As the UAE reportedly begins drawing down personnel from its base in Bossaso, regional analysts suggest Saudi Arabia may move to fill the vacuum, further intensifying the competition for influence between the two Gulf powers in the Horn of Africa.
