Sovereignty as Red Line

Somalia’s federal government has taken its most sweeping step yet against the United Arab Emirates, cancelling all bilateral agreements spanning port operations, defense, and security cooperation. The decision, announced by the Council of Ministers on Monday, signals a sharp escalation in a long-running dispute over foreign influence, breakaway regions, and the limits of federal authority. By annulling the accords wholesale, Mogadishu framed the issue not as a contractual dispute but as a challenge to national sovereignty and political independence.

Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said the decision followed “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,” according to his post on X.

There was no immediate response from Abu Dhabi, leaving the public exchange one-sided as Somalia moved to reset a relationship that has shaped its ports, security architecture, and regional diplomacy for more than a decade.

Somaliland, Ports, and Leverage

Analysts link the move to Israel’s recognition in December of Somaliland, the self-declared independent region that broke away from Somalia in 1991 but lacks international recognition.

Somaliland has emerged as a focal point of Emirati commercial and security investment. Over the past decade, the UAE has deepened its presence there, most notably through a 30-year concession at the strategic Berbera port held by DP World. A government source close to the Somali decision told Al Jazeera there was growing anger in Mogadishu over Abu Dhabi consolidating influence in Somalia’s breakaway and autonomous regions, effectively bypassing the federal government.

Regional Entanglements

The fallout extends beyond Somalia’s borders. Abu Dhabi has long denied accusations that it is arming Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, despite repeated claims by regional actors. While the UAE declined to sign a joint Arab-Islamic statement in December condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, it issued a joint statement with the African Union on January 7 pledging “support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability.”

The timing of Somalia’s move also coincides with reports that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, traveled to the UAE via Berbera on January 8 after rejecting Saudi calls to attend talks in Riyadh. Somalia’s immigration authority subsequently announced an investigation into what it described as the “unauthorised use of Somalia’s national airspace and airports,” underscoring how Berbera has become a symbol of contested authority.