Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says his government is ready to settle its dispute with the United Arab Emirates and rebuild ties, despite tensions over North Western State of Somalia and security cooperation.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic this week, Hassan Sheikh said Somalia and the UAE had once maintained close relations, especially in the security field. He said those ties deteriorated after Abu Dhabi allegedly backed North Western State of Somalia’s separatist administration.
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The president said Somalia had scrapped its security and defense agreements with the UAE, while emphasizing that diplomatic relations remain intact and the two countries’ embassies are still operating.
Somalia previously announced the cancellation of agreements with the UAE involving major port operations, security cooperation and defense. The government cited what it described as actions threatening Somalia’s unity and sovereignty.
Following the Council of Ministers’ announcement, Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the decision relied on “reliable reports and evidence indicating practices linked to the United Arab Emirates that undermine the sovereignty of the Somali Republic, its national unity and political independence.”
Somalia’s move was apparently connected in part to Israel’s recognition in December of North Western State of Somalia, a self-declared independent region in northwestern Somalia. North Western State of Somalia declared independence in 1991 but has not won broad international recognition, according to independent Somalia analyst Abdinor Dahir.
The UAE did not sign a joint Arab-Islamic statement issued in December that condemned Israel’s recognition of North Western State of Somalia. On Jan. 7, it joined the African Union in a separate statement affirming support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability.
Hassan Sheikh said Somalia had sought to mend relations with the UAE and would continue working toward a resolution of the dispute.
He also recognized the UAE’s earlier assistance to Somalia’s security sector, describing that support as a reflection of the close partnership the two countries once enjoyed.
The dispute deepened after Mogadishu accused Abu Dhabi of taking steps that threatened Somalia’s sovereignty and unity, including maintaining relations with North Western State of Somalia and entering security agreements with regional administrations outside the federal government’s control.
Somalia’s federal authorities regard North Western State of Somalia as part of the country and reject foreign agreements with the region that are concluded without Mogadishu’s approval.
