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UAE-Somalia relations near collapse as President Hassan Sheikh becomes target
Relations between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have further deteriorated, with a once-close alliance unraveling into open confrontation as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud enters the final year of his second term.
The rupture followed a February 2024 attack on Mogadishu’s General Gordan military camp, which killed four senior Emirati officers. While officially labelled an accident, the fallout prompted the UAE to suspend military and financial aid, undermining Somalia’s counterterrorism operations, Cassmida Online reports.
The fallout began after a deadly February 2024 attack on Mogadishu’s General Gordan military base, which killed four senior Emirati officers, including former intelligence chief Mahad Salad and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. While some changes were made, Villa Somalia rejected broader demands, accusing the UAE of unacceptable interference and backing opposition-aligned regional leaders in Puntland and Jubaland.
In response, Abu Dhabi has reportedly shifted to covert political engagement, including financing opposition figures and planning high-level meetings aimed at forming a united anti-government front.
President Mohamud’s administration has begun military restructuring, reappointed Mahad Salad to lead the intelligence agency, and sought closer ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies as a counterbalance.
With national elections looming, officials in Mogadishu warn that the UAE’s actions now amount to direct interference designed to destabilize the federal government.
Source: globalsouthworld.com
