Somalia cancels UAE-linked security and defense deals tied to Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo ports
MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal government has annulled security and defense agreements with the United Arab Emirates connected to several strategic ports, saying the deals violated the country’s sovereignty, national unity and political independence.
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- The Cabinet decision cancels port-related arrangements involving Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo
- Move follows an immigration probe into alleged unauthorized use of Somali territory linked to a UAE-backed Yemeni separatist leader
- Government advances a draft sovereignty-protection law and an arbitration bill
- Mogadishu says it remains open to cooperation premised on recognition of Somalia’s unity
Ministers agreed to invalidate “all agreements and cooperative arrangements” tied to the three ports during a Cabinet session in Mogadishu, according to an official statement. The government said the step was based on “reports and strong evidence regarding wrongful actions that undermine the sovereignty, national unity and political independence” of Somalia. The statement did not detail specific agreements or timelines.
The decision comes amid an ongoing investigation by Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency into the alleged unauthorized use of Somali airspace and territory linked to the movements of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, a UAE-backed separatist group.
In recent days, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen accused al-Zubaidi of defying instructions to fly to Riyadh for talks, instead mobilizing forces toward Al-Dhale in southwestern Yemen. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki later alleged that al-Zubaidi fled the southern Yemeni city of Aden by sea and then left the region by air, with Abu Dhabi facilitating his transit through Somali territory. Al-Maliki said al-Zubaidi boarded a flight with aides “under the supervision of UAE officers.”
Somali officials have not publicly confirmed whether al-Zubaidi transited through the country. However, the Cabinet cited the broader investigation as part of the context for canceling the port-related agreements.
The ports at the center of the announcement — Berbera in North Western State of Somalia, Bosaso in Puntland State and Kismayo in Jubbaland — are among Somalia’s most strategically and economically vital gateways. UAE-linked companies and security arrangements have figured prominently at several of these facilities over the past decade, often becoming flashpoints in relations between the federal government and regional administrations.
Officials framed Monday’s moves as an assertion of federal authority over foreign security and commercial engagements in a fragmented political landscape, where power-sharing between Mogadishu and regional states remains contested.
Alongside the cancellations, the Cabinet approved a draft law aimed at safeguarding Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as an arbitration bill, the prime minister’s office said. The proposed sovereignty legislation would bar regional administrations and private entities from entering agreements with foreign parties without prior notification to — and approval from — the federal government, coupled with oversight by the relevant ministry. Officials said the measure is intended to prevent unilateral deals that could undermine national authority.
Somalia also signaled it remains open to international partnerships, provided they are “founded on recognition of Somalia’s unity,” according to the Cabinet statement.
The decision lands amid heightened regional friction. Last month, Israel became the first country to formally recognize North Western State of Somalia as an independent state, a move Somalia has fiercely rejected.
It was not immediately clear how the cancellations will affect day-to-day operations at the three ports or existing security arrangements. The government did not announce a timeline for implementing the measures and offered no details on potential renegotiations or replacement agreements.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
