Mogadishu (Somalia Today) — Three regional administrations in Somalia with close ties to the United Arab Emirates — Puntland, Jubaland and Somaliland — on Monday rejected Mogadishu’s decision to annul defence and security arrangements with the Gulf state.
Puntland led the pushback, saying the federal cabinet cannot unilaterally cancel agreements that operate inside a member state without consultation under Somalia’s federal settlement.
Citing provisions of the Provisional Constitution, Puntland argued that existing member states retain powers under their own constitutions until harmonisation is completed, and that consultation is required on security-related decision-making.
“The decision announced by the federal cabinet to annul the Bosaso port development project agreements and the security cooperation between Puntland and the UAE is null and void,” Puntland said in a statement.
Jubaland issued a parallel rejection, insisting that agreements linked to development and security cooperation — including projects around Kismayo — remain in force and that only the regional administration can revise or terminate them.
Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 but remains internationally unrecognised, went further, arguing that Mogadishu has no jurisdiction over Berbera and therefore “no legal standing” to affect agreements concluded there.
Taken together, the statements underline a familiar fault line in Somali politics: the federal government’s claim to exclusive authority over foreign policy and national security, set against member states’ insistence on broad autonomy — especially where strategic ports and foreign-backed infrastructure are involved.
Federal annulment
Somalia’s cabinet announced the annulment at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, voiding all UAE-linked security and defence arrangements tied to Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo.
The cabinet cited “violations of sovereignty, national unity and political independence,” and approved a draft law on the “protection of sovereignty and territorial unity” that would bar regional authorities and private entities from entering agreements with foreign governments without prior federal approval and oversight.
Mogadishu’s position garnered immediate support from the Northeastern State of Somalia, which issued a statement on January 12 affirming the cabinet’s move.
The administration declared the Port of Berbera a “national strategic asset” belonging to the Somali people as a whole, arguing that any international agreements made without federal authorisation are “invalid and without legal effect”.
Government sources in Mogadishu said intelligence assessments helped drive the decision after Israel’s December 26, 2025, recognition of Somaliland, arguing that UAE influence had enabled the diplomatic shift and could translate into strategic access to Berbera.
Israel’s move has already triggered sharp regional backlash and intensified scrutiny of foreign involvement along the Red Sea corridor, including after Israel’s foreign minister travelled to Somaliland in early January.
Puntland grounded its argument in the federal transition clauses of the Provisional Constitution, which recognise the continuing powers of existing member states and require consultation on key matters affecting the federal system and security arrangements.
Jubaland cited similar constitutional principles, including consultation requirements on major international agreements that particularly affect member-state interests.
Somaliland’s response took a different legal position, rejecting Mogadishu’s claim to authority over Berbera in its entirety.
In its January 12 statement, Somaliland said Somalia has “no legal jurisdiction, administrative authority, or effective control” over its territory, and cannot affect agreements Somaliland signs with foreign partners.
Bosaso airlift
As the political row escalated, residents and officials in Bosaso reported a surge in activity at the airbase, where Emirati forces have been conducting training operations, with observers citing flight patterns that suggest a drawdown.
A report by Middle East Eye described repeated cargo movements involving heavy aircraft in Puntland in recent days, quoting a source at the Bosaso airbase who said: “Unlike previous operations… these planes have been arriving over several days, loaded with heavy military equipment, and departed without delay.”
Separately, Somali officials have linked the cabinet’s decision to broader regional tensions, including an incident tied to Yemen that led Mogadishu to suspend Emirati military flights from transiting Somali airspace or landing at its airports.
Analyst Ahmed Abdi said the dispute reflects growing overlap between Red Sea security competition and Somalia’s internal federal politics. “We are seeing the merger of the Yemen and Somalia conflicts,” he said.
“Mogadishu has concluded that the UAE’s network in Berbera and Bosaso is no longer just about development, but about projecting power in ways that destabilise the federal government.”
Mogadishu, meanwhile, has moved to deepen ties with Saudi Arabia. At an OIC foreign ministers’ meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji urged member states to reject engagement with what he described as separatist entities in Somalia.
It remains unclear how the federal government intends to enforce the annulment and proposed restrictions in regions where local authorities retain de facto control and maintain deep commercial and security ties with the UAE — or how the dispute will affect port operations and existing contracts at Berbera, Bosaso and Kismayo.
Abu Dhabi has not publicly commented on the annulment or the reported drawdown.
