Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Mogadishu has suspended all agreements with the UAE while diplomatic ties remain intact, accusing Abu Dhabi of politically supporting Somaliland.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (Somali Report) — Somalia has maintained diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates despite suspending all agreements between the two countries, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said in an interview with Al Jazeera, as tensions continue to strain ties between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi.
Hassan said the two countries had not severed diplomatic relations and that their embassies remained operational. However, he said Somalia had suspended all agreements with the UAE following disagreements and uncertainty that had emerged between the two governments.
“We still have relations with the UAE. We have not cut diplomatic ties,” Hassan said. “Our embassy is there and their embassy is in Somalia, but we have suspended all the agreements between us. Most of those agreements were related to security and the military.”
The president did not provide details on which agreements had been suspended or specify when the decision was taken. His comments nevertheless underline the extent of the deterioration in cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the security sector.
Hassan also accused the UAE of treating Somaliland differently from the United States, saying Washington did not engage with Somaliland as a separate political entity at the diplomatic level. He alleged that Abu Dhabi, by contrast, maintains political and diplomatic relations with Somaliland and encourages its efforts to separate from Somalia.
“The United States does not deal with Somaliland politically, but the UAE deals with Somaliland politically and diplomatically and encourages it to separate from Somalia,” Hassan said.
Somalia considers Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, part of its territory. Somaliland has pursued international recognition as an independent state, while successive Somali governments have opposed the move and maintained that the country's territorial integrity must be preserved.
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The dispute over Somaliland has increasingly become part of Somalia's wider regional diplomatic tensions. The UAE has developed close economic and security ties in the Horn of Africa, including investments and port-related interests in Somaliland and other parts of the region.
Despite his criticism, Hassan described the UAE as an important country and said his government would continue efforts to repair relations with Abu Dhabi.
“The UAE is a very important country. We have tried many times to improve our relations, but it has not been possible,” he said. “Nevertheless, we will continue trying to improve the relationship.”
Somalia and the UAE have maintained close ties for years, including cooperation in security, military training and economic projects. Relations have, however, faced repeated strains over the UAE's engagement with Somalia's federal member states and its ties with Somaliland.
The latest dispute has also raised questions about the future of previous security arrangements between the two countries. Hassan's remarks suggest that while diplomatic channels remain open, cooperation under earlier agreements has been significantly curtailed.
The Somali president's comments come as Mogadishu seeks to balance relations with regional and international partners while asserting its position on national sovereignty and territorial integrity. For now, he said, Somalia remains open to repairing ties with the UAE despite the unresolved disagreements between the two sides.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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