LAS ANOD, Somalia — Senior traditional elders from the Darood community on Tuesday endorsed the Somali federal government’s decision to cancel security and port agreements with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of undermining the country’s unity, sovereignty and national independence.
The position, announced after a large gathering of clan leaders in Las Anod, came as the elders convened to witness the inauguration of Abdulqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, known as Firdhiye, as president of Somalia’s Northeastern Regional State. The elders said Mogadishu’s cancellations were aligned with the national interest and necessary to safeguard the country’s independence from external interference.
- Advertisement -
In a statement, the Darood elders accused the UAE of direct involvement in Somalia’s internal affairs, including politics and security. They specifically condemned what they described as Abu Dhabi’s role in facilitating Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia, calling the move unconstitutional and a direct threat to Somalia’s territorial integrity. Somalia considers North Western State of Somalia part of its territory despite the region’s self-declared independence.
“This intervention violates the constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia and threatens the unity of the Somali nation,” the statement said.
The Darood Cultural Council warned that continued foreign interference could deepen political divisions, fuel insecurity and weaken the economy, creating openings for extremist groups to exploit the crisis. The elders urged the federal government and Somalia’s regional administrations to cooperate to protect the country’s sovereignty and avoid internal disputes that could further fracture the nation at a critical moment.
They also called on regional leaders who have not publicly declared their positions on national unity to take a clear stand in defense of Somalia’s territorial integrity.
The elders’ endorsement follows the Somali government’s recent decision to nullify all security and port-related agreements with the UAE, including arrangements linked to the ports of Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo. Mogadishu said the cancellations were prompted by alleged violations of sovereignty and unauthorized activities carried out without federal approval. The government argues that any foreign security and commercial operations must be coordinated through the capital to comply with Somalia’s constitutional framework.
The decision has exposed sharp divisions within Somalia’s federal system. Puntland State, Jubbaland and North Western State of Somalia administrations have rejected the cancellations and voiced support for continued UAE involvement at key ports under their control, arguing the agreements are vital for security, trade and local economic development. Their stance underscores a widening rift over who has the authority to negotiate and enforce international deals in a country where power is shared between the central government and regional states.
The split highlights the intense pressure on Somalia’s political order as it navigates a volatile landscape marked by foreign competition, internal power struggles and renewed debate over federal versus central authority. While the federal government frames the cancellations as a sovereignty-first reset, some regional leaders view them as economically disruptive and politically overreaching.
Against that backdrop, the Darood elders’ intervention adds a powerful traditional voice to the national debate, aligning with Mogadishu on sovereignty while warning that protracted infighting could invite further external meddling. Their message from Las Anod — at a gathering centered on a regional leadership inauguration — underscores how state-building, port security and foreign partnerships have become inseparable from Somalia’s broader struggle over unity and constitutional order.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
Tuesday January 20, 2026
