MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia wants to resolve its differences with the United Arab Emirates and remains willing to improve relations with Abu Dhabi despite disagreements over Somaliland and security cooperation, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, Hassan said Somalia and the UAE had previously maintained close relations, particularly in the security sector. He said ties deteriorated after Abu Dhabi, in Mogadishu’s view, began supporting Somaliland’s separatist position.
Somalia announced in January that it was cancelling all agreements with the UAE, including arrangements covering security, defense and port operations, citing concerns over the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, the two countries have maintained diplomatic relations and continue to operate embassies in each other’s capitals.
Hassan said Mogadishu had sought to repair relations with Abu Dhabi and would continue efforts to resolve the dispute. He also acknowledged the UAE’s previous role in supporting Somalia’s security sector, describing it as an important part of the once-close partnership between the two countries.
“We still have a relationship with the UAE; we have not cut it,” Hassan said in the interview, according to a report published this week. “Our embassy is there, and their embassy is here. But we cancelled all the agreements that existed between us, most of which were in the security and defence sectors.”
The dispute has centred in part on the UAE’s long-standing economic and security ties with Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has not traditionally been internationally recognised as a sovereign state. The UAE has invested heavily in Somaliland, including through its involvement in Berbera port, while Mogadishu has objected to arrangements it considers to bypass the federal government.
The rift also deepened following developments involving Yemen. Somalia said in January that it had investigated the alleged unauthorised use of its airspace and airports in connection with the movement of a Yemeni political figure, while a senior Somali official described the incident as one of the factors behind the cancellation of the agreements.
Despite the cancellation of the agreements, Hassan’s latest comments suggest Mogadishu is seeking to keep diplomatic channels open and avoid a complete rupture with Abu Dhabi. The president said Somalia remained interested in restoring the relationship while protecting what his government considers its sovereignty and national interests.
The dispute has also exposed divisions within Somalia’s federal system, with regional administrations that maintain close ties with the UAE challenging Mogadishu’s decision to cancel agreements affecting their territories.
Hassan’s comments come as Somalia seeks to navigate increasingly complex regional rivalries involving the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and the Gulf, while maintaining relations with a range of competing regional powers.
