Somalia tore up its agreements with the United Arab Emirates after UAE-backed Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi illegally entered the Gulf Arab country through the breakaway region of Somaliland, a top minister has said.
Ali Omar, Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, told media that the entry of al-Zubaidi, leader of the now-defunct Southern Transitional Council (STC), into Somali territory on January 8 was “the last straw” that prompted Mogadishu to cancel all deals with Abu Dhabi.
The move also comes in the wake of Israel’s world-first recognition of Somaliland, which has been roundly condemned across Africa and the Arab world and beyond.
The decision, announced by Somalia’s Council of Ministers on Monday, annuls agreements spanning port operations, security cooperation and defence.
“Using Somalia’s airspace, Somalia’s airfields to smuggle a fugitive is not something that Somalia condones,” Omar said, describing how al-Zubaidi allegedly travelled on a UAE-registered cargo plane from Berbera port to Mogadishu.
He said Somali authorities received the plane’s manifest, but al-Zubaidi’s name was not listed, suggesting he was hiding aboard.
Omar emphasised that while the incident triggered the decision, it reflected deeper frustrations with the UAE’s conduct in Somalia.
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