‘Last straw’: Somalia cuts UAE ties after Yemen separatist’s illegal entry

Somalia has torn up each agreements with the United Arab Emirates aft UAE-backed Yemeni separatist person Aidarous al-Zubaidi illegally entered the Gulf Arab state done the breakaway portion of Somaliland, a apical curate has said.

The determination besides comes successful the aftermath of Israel’s world-first designation of Somaliland, which has been roundly condemned crossed Africa and the Arab satellite and beyond.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 2Somali curate says Israel plans to expel Gaza Palestinians to Somaliland
• list 2 of 2Somalia cancels each agreements with UAE implicit alleged sovereignty violations

Ali Omar, Somalia’s authorities curate for overseas affairs, told Al Jazeera that the introduction of al-Zubaidi, person of the now-defunct Southern Transitional Council (STC), into Somali territory connected January 8 was “the past straw” that prompted Mogadishu to cancel each deals with Abu Dhabi.

The decision, announced by Somalia’s Council of Ministers connected Monday, annuls agreements spanning larboard operations, information practice and defence.

“Using Somalia’s airspace, Somalia’s airfields to smuggle a fugitive is not thing that Somalia condones,” Omar said, describing however al-Zubaidi allegedly travelled connected a UAE-registered cargo level from Berbera larboard to Mogadishu.

He said Somali authorities received the plane’s manifest, but al-Zubaidi’s sanction was not listed, suggesting helium was hiding aboard.

Omar emphasised that portion the incidental triggered the decision, it reflected deeper frustrations with the UAE’s behaviour successful Somalia.

“It was 1 of the reasons we took this action. Not the reason, but 1 of the reasons,” helium said. “We tried to woody with them diplomatically, but present we person decided to instrumentality action. Diplomacy didn’t work, and truthful present the constitution has to work.”

The announcement has exposed heavy fractures successful Somalia’s national system, which grants subordinate states important autonomy implicit their affairs.

Within hours of the decision, 2 regions with adjacent commercialized and information ties with the UAE rejected Mogadishu’s authorization to cancel the agreements.

Somaliland, which declared independency from Somalia successful 1991 but lacks planetary recognition, besides intimately aligned with Abu Dhabi, rejected it too.

The curate said Somalia had exhausted diplomatic channels earlier taking action.

“We were hoping things would change, but it did not change,” Omar told Al Jazeera, adding that the state is “claiming its sovereignty again, and we are asking radical to respect that.”

He drew parallels betwixt Somalia’s concern and Yemen’s conflict, praising Saudi efforts to stabilise the state and noting that “a unchangeable Yemen helps stabilise Somalia and vice versa”.

A broader regional convergence of interests with Riyadh forms the backdrop to this decision, pursuing Saudi Arabia’s determination to propulsion the UAE-backed STC retired of Yemen and its adoption of a much assertive posture against Abu Dhabi.

Somalia’s Information Minister Daud Aweis insisted the determination wasn’t taken nether Saudi unit successful an interrogation with Al Jazeera.

The UAE has not commented connected the allegations oregon Somalia’s determination to cancel agreements.

Somalia’s determination comes amid choler successful Mogadishu implicit what officials presumption arsenic the UAE’s significant influence done breakaway and autonomous regions.

According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Washington-based probe institution, Emirati investments successful East Africa full astir $47bn, accounting for much than fractional of Gulf backing flowing into the area.

“There was a clip that Somalia accepted immoderate assistance that it could get, careless of however it came through. But that has created challenges,” Aweis said.

“Today we person an established authorities strategy that needs to beryllium respected,” helium said.

“Somalia is trying to reclaim its sovereignty and asking the planetary assemblage and different partners to woody with state-to-state, alternatively than state-to-non-state actors.”

Israeli designation fuels tensions

The breakdown successful relations besides follows Israel’s designation of Somaliland successful December, a determination galore Somalis judge the UAE facilitated. The UAE has not commented connected that allegation.

While the UAE declined to motion a associated Arab-Islamic connection successful December condemning Israel’s designation of Somaliland, connected January 7, it released a associated connection with the African Union pledging “support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, information and stability”.

Omar expressed assurance that nary different countries would travel Israel’s lead, citing diplomatic outreach and continental concerns.

“I don’t deliberation so. And I anticipation that volition not happen. I deliberation we person done capable diplomatic outreach passim the world,” helium said.

Dozens of countries and planetary bodies person condemned the move, and portion Trump said helium would not travel Israel’s decision, helium added that the substance was nether review.

He said different countries shared challenges with separatist movements and warned that it could unfastened “a Pandora’s box”.

“I don’t deliberation the satellite is acceptable to marque that benignant of action,” helium said.

Omar besides pointed to interior divisions wrong Somaliland connected the contented of whether abstracted statehood successful the northbound is the close move.

Somaliland, which declared independency successful 1991, has been 1 of the astir stable parts of Somalia and boasts its ain currency, flag, cardinal bank, and chiseled governmental identity.

After Somaliland’s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known arsenic Cirro, announced Israel’s designation successful December, helium said that the beingness of a abstracted authorities did not mean that the cultural, ethnic, and spiritual bonds among Somalis had been severed.

Omar, the Somali minister, explained that the portion comprises 5 large clans, with 2 eastbound clans having already seceded to signifier the Northeast State, portion akin dynamics are emerging successful the west.

“There isn’t capable momentum for separatism,” helium said.

The curate warned that reports of a imaginable Israeli subject basal successful Somaliland airs broader determination information risks.

“The portion has capable mess, capable trouble, capable insecurity. To bring Israel into the portion volition lone make much challenges,” helium said, cautioning that specified a beingness would pull equipped fighters to an country wherever ISIL (ISIS) and al-Shabab already operate.

“This volition lone destabilise an already unchangeable portion of Somalia.”