Somalia abruptly terminated all bilateral agreements with the United Arab Emirates on Monday, annulling decades-old deals on port operations, security cooperation and defence in a dramatic escalation of long-simmering tensions.
The Council of Ministers announced the decision after what it described as credible reports and compelling evidence of UAE practices that undermine Somalia’s sovereignty, national unity and political independence. Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi posted on X that the move followed careful assessment of actions threatening the Somali Republic’s integrity.
Tensions linked to Somaliland recognition
The rupture appears tied to two recent developments that infuriated Mogadishu. First, Israel’s historic decision on 26 December 2025 to become the first UN member state to formally recognise Somaliland – the self-declared republic in northwestern Somalia that broke away in 1991 but lacks wider international recognition. Independent analyst Abdinor Dahir said many Somalis believe the UAE quietly facilitated the Israeli move, given Abu Dhabi’s deep ties to Hargeisa.
Second, reports emerged last week that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council separatists, travelled through Berbera port and airport in Somaliland on 8 January en route to the UAE, apparently bypassing Saudi-brokered talks in Riyadh. Somalia’s immigration authorities promptly launched an investigation into the unauthorised use of national airspace and facilities.
Berbera port at centre of dispute
The centrepiece of UAE engagement in the region has been the strategic port of Berbera. In 2016, Dubai-based DP World secured a 30-year concession to develop and operate the facility, later expanded to include a military base. The investments, part of a broader Gulf push into the Horn of Africa, have transformed Berbera into a key commercial and security hub overlooking the Gulf of Aden. Similar, though smaller, Emirati footprints exist in Puntland’s Bosaso port and Jubaland.
Relations between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi were once close. In the early 2010s the UAE ran military training programmes for Somali forces and operated a hospital in the capital. But ties soured sharply in 2018 amid the Gulf crisis, when Somalia refused to join the Saudi-Emirati blockade of Qatar. Abu Dhabi abruptly ended its training mission, evacuated personnel and was accused by Mogadishu of attempting to seize millions in cash at Mogadishu airport – allegations the UAE denied.
Since then, the Emirates have focused investment and influence on Somalia’s federal member states and Somaliland, moves the central government has long viewed as bypassing its authority and encouraging fragmentation in a country still recovering from decades of conflict.
Regional investments and accusations
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies estimates UAE investments across East Africa at around USD 47 billion, representing 60% of all Gulf capital inflows to the region. Critics accuse Abu Dhabi of pursuing separatist agendas elsewhere, including alleged support for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces – charges the UAE consistently rejects.
On 7 January the Emirates joined an African Union statement reaffirming support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability. Yet Monday’s decision suggests Mogadishu no longer sees such declarations as sufficient.
The federal system grants member states considerable autonomy, raising questions over enforcement. Puntland and Jubaland, both with strong UAE links and currently at odds with Mogadishu over constitutional reforms and elections, may simply ignore the directive.
Somaliland was quick to dismiss the move. Presidency minister Khadar Hussein Abdi said: “Somalia’s daydreaming changes nothing. The UAE is a trusted friend of Somaliland. They invested in Berbera when others doubted us. We are a nation of principles, and we stand by our friends.”
As Horn of Africa geopolitics grows ever more complex – with Gulf powers, Turkey, Israel and Western states all vying for influence – Somalia’s bold severance risks further isolating the fragile federal government while deepening internal divisions.
