Somalia Cancels UAE Agreements Over Sovereignty Violations

Somalia's federal government announced on Monday the cancellation of all bilateral agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including those covering port operations, security cooperation and defense partnerships, citing repeated violations of the country's sovereignty and national unity.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed the nation in a televised speech, explaining that the decision by the Council of Ministers stemmed from the UAE's failure to engage with Somalia as a single, unified state. "The UAE did not treat us as a single, unified government with sovereignty and independence," Mohamud said. "We repeatedly requested that they engage with us as one unified Somali government, but this did not happen." Officials accused the UAE of bypassing federal authorities, interfering in internal affairs and conducting activities without Mogadishu's knowledge, which undermined the central government's authority.

A key incident that prompted the action involved Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, who entered Somali territory illegally on January 8. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar told reporters that al-Zubaidi traveled on a...