Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has denied receiving political or financial support from the United Arab Emirates, saying his long residence in the Gulf country reflects personal ties rather than a political alliance.
Sharif, who served as Somalia’s president from 2009 to 2012 and remains one of the country’s leading opposition figures, said in an interview this week that he had lived in the UAE with his family for almost a decade.
“My family and I were welcomed, and I am grateful for that,” Sharif said. “But we do not have a political relationship.”
His remarks come as tensions rise between Somalia’s federal government and opposition leaders over constitutional changes, the electoral timetable and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s continued stay in office after his mandate expired in May.
Government troops and militias aligned with the opposition exchanged fire in Mogadishu in early June, after Sharif said security forces had surrounded and attacked his residence ahead of planned anti-government protests.
‘Constant accusations’
Sharif rejected claims that Abu Dhabi funds him or other opposition politicians, arguing that Mohamud’s government had itself maintained close relations with the UAE and benefited from Emirati financial and security support.
He described the UAE as a longstanding partner that had assisted successive Somali governments through development projects, military training and financial aid.
“Somalia should understand how international relations work and how conflicts are managed, instead of resorting to constant accusations,” Sharif said.
His comments challenge the federal government’s increasingly hostile position towards Abu Dhabi.
The dispute reached a new level on January 12, when Somalia’s cabinet cancelled all agreements with the UAE, including deals covering the ports of Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo, as well as bilateral defence and security cooperation.
The government said it had taken the decision because of “credible reports and compelling evidence” of actions that threatened Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial unity and political independence.
Mohamud later accused the UAE of “naked interference” and said Mogadishu had repeatedly urged Abu Dhabi to stop dealing with Somalia through “different doors”.
The phrase referred to the UAE’s direct relationships with Somaliland, Puntland and other regional administrations, which the federal government says undermine its authority.
The UAE did not publicly respond to the accusations at the time.
Deep security ties
Before relations broke down, the UAE had spent years training and funding Somali forces.
Abu Dhabi was still paying salaries and providing logistical support to thousands of military police and special forces personnel in and around Mogadishu before the January rupture.
Relations had previously collapsed in 2018, after Somali security forces seized $9.6 million in cash from an Emirati aircraft at Mogadishu airport.
The UAE said the money was intended to pay Somali soldiers. It later ended a military training programme that had operated since 2014.
Ties improved after Mohamud returned to power in 2022, but they deteriorated again as Mogadishu accused Abu Dhabi of bypassing the federal government and strengthening regional administrations.
Somaliland, Puntland and Jubaland rejected Mogadishu’s January decision and said their agreements with the UAE would remain in force.
A Somaliland official said at the time that “the UAE is here to stay”, while Jubaland dismissed the federal government’s move as “null and void”.
Berbera at centre of dispute
Much of the dispute centres on Berbera, a strategic port city on the Gulf of Aden in Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
Dubai-based DP World holds a 30-year concession to develop and operate the Port of Berbera and has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the project.
The company said operations would continue despite Mogadishu’s decision to cancel UAE-linked agreements.
Somalia’s federal government insists Somaliland remains part of the country, while the territory has its own government, security forces and institutions.
Israel became the first country to formally recognise Somaliland on December 26, 2025, although Mogadishu and most of the international community continue to regard the territory as part of Somalia.
Somali officials have linked the recognition to the UAE’s expanding regional influence, while analysts say Abu Dhabi helped create the diplomatic conditions that made the move possible.
The dispute intensified further this week after reports said the UAE was expanding military facilities at Berbera airport for possible use by Emirati, American and Israeli forces.
The reported work included underground structures intended for ammunition or fuel storage.
Somaliland and Israel have denied signing a formal defence agreement.
Sharif, however, said Somalia’s dependence on international partners meant the government should manage disagreements through diplomacy rather than public confrontation.
He warned that Mogadishu risked damaging ties with a country that had supported Somalia for years, while turning foreign policy into another weapon in the country’s increasingly bitter domestic political struggle.
