MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is expected to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the coming days, following his government’s decision to sever ties with the United Arab Emirates and terminate all bilateral agreements, Caasimada Online news website reported on Wednesday.
During the visit, President Mohamud is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Somalia openly aligns itself with a Saudi Arabia–led regional bloc opposing the UAE. The coalition includes Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Djibouti and Eritrea.
Somalia’s government is expected to seek financial assistance from Saudi Arabia across multiple sectors to compensate for the funding and security support previously provided by the UAE before relations were cut.
Speaking on Tuesday, President Mohamud said his administration had concluded that agreements with the UAE posed a threat to Somalia’s sovereignty and dignity and were therefore terminated. He added that his government would take similar action against any foreign arrangement deemed to endanger the country’s future.
Saudi Arabia is also planning to host Somali reconciliation conferences in the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, aimed at bringing together Somalia’s divided political leaders and traditional elders in an effort to restore stability and help the country recover.
For the past four years, Somalia’s federal government had maintained close relations with the UAE, with Abu Dhabi providing substantial security assistance and overseeing the development and management of the ports of Bosaso, Kismayo and Berbera. Relations began to deteriorate following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a move Mogadishu believes was strongly influenced by the UAE, which it also suspects of lobbying other countries to follow suit.
Tensions worsened earlier this month after reports emerged that the UAE had facilitated the escape of Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubeidi using Somali territory and airspace. The incident reportedly intensified pressure on Mogadishu to fully sever relations with Abu Dhabi.
Turkey, Qatar and Egypt had long urged Somalia to cut ties with the UAE, a position that has now been joined by Saudi Arabia. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are engaged in an active proxy struggle for influence, particularly over strategic shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea as well as the Arabian Sea.
Before formally cutting relations, Somalia banned all UAE military and cargo aircraft from using its airports and airspace. This move prompted Abu Dhabi to withdraw its military assets and personnel, especially from the port city of Bosaso. Reports have previously alleged that the UAE used Bosaso as a transit hub for transporting mercenaries and weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, which Abu Dhabi is accused of backing in its conflict with the Sudanese government.
Amid signs that Mogadishu may have received assurances of financial support from other Gulf states, President Mohamud said on Tuesday that Somalia would emerge economically and militarily stronger following the break with the UAE, in what appeared to be an effort to reassure concerned regional states.
However, Somalia’s regional states of Puntland, Jubaland and Somaliland have rejected the federal government’s decision, saying it does not apply to their administrations. They argue that Mogadishu lacks the authority to terminate the agreements. It remains unclear whether these regions can be persuaded to align with the federal government if Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states offer them financial incentives comparable to those previously provided by Abu Dhabi.
Somalia now appears to have become another front in the widening proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which stretches from Yemen to Sudan. Analysts warn that Somalia may be the most fragile and dangerous arena yet, given its three decades of civil war, persistent Islamist insurgency, and deep vulnerability to foreign interference and competing external interests that continue to fuel instability and division in the Horn of Africa nation.
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