Somalia Scraps UAE Port Security Deals Over Sovereignty Breach

By Staff, Agencies

The Somali government has canceled security and defense agreements with the United Arab Emirates [UAE] over violations of its sovereignty, national unity, and political independence at key strategic ports.

The prime minister’s office announced in a statement on Monday that the measure was based on “reports and strong evidence regarding wrongful actions that undermine the sovereignty, national unity, and political independence” of Somalia.

At a Cabinet meeting, ministers agreed to annul all agreements and cooperative arrangements concerning the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo, the statement added.

The Cabinet also approved a draft law on protecting Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial unity, along with an arbitration bill, the prime minister’s office further noted.

According to the statement, the sovereignty bill would forbid regional administrations and private entities from entering into agreements with foreign parties without prior notification to, and approval from, the federal government and oversight by the relevant ministry.

The decision came after an investigation by Somalia’s Immigration and Citizenship Agency discovered that the leader of Yemen’s pro-secession Southern Transitional Council [STC], Aidarous al-Zubaidi, unlawfully used Somali airspace to flee to Abu Dhabi.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s so-called Presidential Leadership Council [PLC] said in a statement on Thursday that Zubaidi missed scheduled peace negotiations in Riyadh, and instead mobilized forces toward al-Dhale in southwestern Yemen.

The coalition spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Maliki, later said Zubaidi made a nighttime escape on Wednesday and boarded a maritime vessel that set sail from the southern Yemeni city of Aden to the Port of Berbera in Somaliland.

Zubaidi then took a flight along with Emirati officers to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. He departed for the UAE shortly afterwards.

According to the statement, the plane’s identification systems were deliberately disabled while crossing over the Sea of Oman, only to be reactivated ten minutes before landing at al-Reef military airport in Abu Dhabi.

Maliki has sharply criticized Abu Dhabi for facilitating Zubaidi’s exit through Somali territory.