MOGADISHU — Somalia’s foreign minister said the United Arab Emirates has halted its security assistance to the Horn of Africa nation after Mogadishu formally withdrew from bilateral agreements with Abu Dhabi.
Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali told reporters the Emirati program had focused on Somalia’s military and security institutions and no longer had a legal or political framework after the government’s move to scrap the pacts.
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“Most of the support provided by the UAE was concentrated in the security sector. Since the agreements were terminated, there is no clear basis for that assistance to continue,” Abdisalam said.
The Federal Government of Somalia announced in January that it had nullified all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including those covering security cooperation. At the time, Mogadishu accused Abu Dhabi of interference in ways that undermined Somalia’s sovereignty and national unity.
Abdisalam stressed that while the UAE has suspended its security assistance, diplomatic relations remain intact. He said both countries’ embassies — Somalia’s in Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s in Mogadishu — continue to operate as normal, signaling broader ties have not been severed despite the end of security collaboration.
The minister also dismissed suggestions that Mogadishu’s decision was connected to allegations the UAE has supported armed groups in conflicts in Sudan and Yemen. He said the move to cancel the agreements was limited to Somalia’s bilateral arrangements with Abu Dhabi and unrelated to wider regional accusations.
The halt leaves uncertainty around programs that had been bolstering Somalia’s security sector, though the government did not disclose the specific initiatives or the scale of assistance that will be affected. Beyond noting the UAE’s past focus on training and support for security institutions, officials did not outline any immediate contingency plans or alternative partnerships to replace the suspended aid.
Somalia’s announcement underscores a recalibration of its external security partnerships following the January decision to annul the UAE accords. Officials framed the policy shift as a matter of sovereignty, while emphasizing that diplomatic channels remain open and that the government aims to manage the fallout in a way that avoids a broader rupture with Abu Dhabi.
It was not immediately clear whether talks would resume to develop a new framework for cooperation with the UAE or whether the two governments would pursue alternative arrangements outside the now-scrapped agreements. The foreign ministry did not provide a timeline for next steps.
The developments mark a significant turn in Somalia–UAE relations, with immediate consequences for the security portfolio that had tied the two countries together. While embassies continue to function and officials on both sides maintain contact, the suspension of assistance highlights the practical impact of Mogadishu’s decision to unwind its agreements and the delicate balance it is seeking to strike between asserting sovereignty and preserving diplomatic ties.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
