MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro has attended the World Governments Summit in Dubai for the second consecutive year, after receiving an invitation from the United Arab Emirates, amid sharply strained relations between Abu Dhabi and Somalia’s federal government.
Mr Irro travelled to the UAE on Monday, where state media reported that he was scheduled to hold meetings with senior Emirati officials. His prominent placement among world leaders attending the summit has drawn particular attention in Mogadishu.
The appearance comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Somalia and the UAE. Last month, Somalia’s federal government announced it was severing all agreements with Abu Dhabi, accusing the Gulf state of violating Somalia’s unity and sovereignty, and of aligning itself with Somaliland’s long-standing quest for international recognition.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, is not recognised internationally but considers itself a sovereign state.
Analysts say the decision to accord Mr Irro a front-row presence at the summit is likely to be viewed in Mogadishu as a deliberate signal by Abu Dhabi, and an attempt to provoke the Somali federal government by elevating the leader of a region it considers part of its territory.
The move is expected to further sour relations between Somalia and the UAE, which had enjoyed close ties over the past three years under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
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