Saudi Arabia & Somalia Sign Military Cooperation Agreement

Somalia’s new military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia reflects a calibrated effort by Mogadishu to widen its security partnerships as geopolitical pressures mount in the Horn of Africa. Signed on Feb. 9 in Riyadh, the memorandum of understanding comes amid heightened diplomatic friction triggered by Israel’s recognition of Somaliland last December, a self-declared breakaway region that Somalia considers part of its sovereign territory.

The pact, concluded between Somali Minister of Defence Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, follows a similar defense agreement signed with Qatar last month.

Together, the deals point to a deliberate strategy by Mogadishu to anchor its security posture more firmly within the Gulf while countering what it views as emerging external threats tied to Somaliland’s international outreach.

Strategic Signaling Through Defense Pacts

Somalia’s Ministry of Defence said the agreement with Saudi Arabia “aims to strengthen the frameworks of defense and military cooperation between the two countries, and includes multiple areas of common interest.”

Prince Khalid confirmed the signing in a post on X, but neither side disclosed operational details, timelines, or force commitments.

The absence of specifics mirrors the Jan. agreement with Qatar, which Somali state media said focused on military training, exchange of expertise, defense capability development, and enhanced security cooperation.

Doha described that pact as serving “mutual interests” and strengthening defense partnerships.

The back-to-back agreements, signed within roughly four weeks, underscore Mogadishu’s effort to diversify external security support as regional alignments harden.

“We Will Fight in Our Capacity”

The diplomatic push is inseparable from Somalia’s response to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December, the first such move by any state. Mogadishu has warned that Israel may seek to establish a military presence in the territory, a prospect Somali leaders have framed as a red line.

On Feb. 8, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said, “We don’t have Israeli security forces in Somalia yet, and we don’t see them coming in the near future as well.”

He added, “But if that were to happen, that would be another day and another discussion.”

Mohamud was more direct on the broader principle, stating, “We will fight in our capacity - of course, we will defend ourselves. We are against that and we will never allow that.”

The president also outlined what he described as the structure of Israel’s engagement with Somaliland. “The information that we have is that Israel agreed with Somaliland on three pillars,” Mohamud said on Feb. 8. These included “bringing Palestinians to Somalia, having a base in Somaliland, and Somaliland signing the Abraham Accord.”

Gulf Fractures and Regional Calculations

Somalia’s turn toward Riyadh and Doha also coincides with a sharp rupture in its relations with the United Arab Emirates. Last month, Mogadishu canceled all agreements with the UAE, including port operations, security, and defense deals, citing actions that undermine Somalia’s “national unity and political independence.”

The UAE has cultivated deep economic and security ties with Somaliland, including a 30-year concession at Berbera port held by DP World.

The break came amid reports that Abu Dhabi facilitated Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. While the UAE declined to sign a joint Arab-Islamic statement condemning the move, it later issued a joint declaration with the African Union in January supporting Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Defense Cooperation Amid Wider Conflicts

The Somalia-Saudi agreement also lands against the backdrop of wider regional tensions involving Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Relations between the two Gulf powers deteriorated in December after Saudi forces bombed what Riyadh said was a UAE weapons shipment to Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council.

Saudi Arabia has also condemned the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan over attacks in Kordofan that killed dozens, and criticized “foreign interference” prolonging Sudan’s nearly 3 year conflict.

Against this backdrop, Somalia’s engagement with Riyadh positions the Horn of Africa dispute within a broader matrix of Gulf security rivalries, where military cooperation agreements carry both practical and political weight.