Mogadishu (Somalia Today) – The United Arab Emirates has begun a “hurried” evacuation of its military forces and heavy equipment from strategic positions in Somalia, witnesses and officials said, after the federal government annulled defence pacts with the Gulf state.
The withdrawal marks a dramatic collapse in relations between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi, following accusations that the UAE undermined Somalia’s sovereignty by facilitating Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
In the northern port city of Bosaso, residents reported a surge in activity at the airbase, where Emirati troops have been stationed for training operations.
“Unlike previous operations… these planes have been arriving over several days, loaded with heavy military equipment, and departed without delay,” a source at the Bosaso airbase told Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity.
Flight tracking data indicates an average of six IL-76 cargo aircraft have landed and departed daily—a frequency observers described as resembling an emergency evacuation.
The flights, which previously ferried supplies, are now exclusively focused on removing personnel and hardware, signaling a potentially permanent exit from the facility in Puntland state.
Agreements scrapped
The exodus follows a cabinet decree on Monday voiding all security and defence arrangements with the UAE, specifically targeting agreements regarding the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo.
Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, the cabinet cited “violations of sovereignty, national unity and political independence” as grounds for the annulment.
Alongside the annulment, ministers approved a draft law on the “protection of sovereignty and territorial unity.”
The legislation is designed to close legal loopholes that foreign powers have used to bypass Mogadishu, prohibiting regional administrations from entering into independent agreements with foreign governments.
Government sources in Mogadishu said intelligence prompted the decision after suggesting the UAE used its diplomatic leverage to broker Israel’s December 26 recognition of Somaliland.
“The UAE is the elephant in the room,” a senior Somali diplomat said. “They are using our land to build a security architecture for themselves and Israel, without our consent.”
Officials fear the deal grants Israel logistical access to the UAE-operated port of Berbera, establishing a strategic foothold on the Red Sea bypassing Mogadishu.
The Yemen connection
Tensions reached a breaking point last week following a security incident involving the war in Yemen.
Somalia suspended Emirati military flights after accusations surfaced that Abu Dhabi used Somali territory to secretly facilitate the transit of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, a Yemeni separatist leader wanted by Saudi Arabia.
Zubaidi, the head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), reportedly evaded a planned meeting in Riyadh by travelling through Somaliland and Mogadishu to the UAE.
The incident infuriated both Somali and Saudi officials, who view it as a violation of airspace and a challenge to regional stability.
“We are seeing the merger of the Yemen and Somalia conflicts,” said Ahmed Abdi, a Mogadishu-based analyst.
“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.”
The Bosaso airbase had previously drawn scrutiny. In October, media reports alleged the UAE utilized the site to supply the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighting the Sudanese army, further complicating Somalia’s position in regional conflicts.
Pivot to Saudi Arabia
As UAE troops depart, Somalia is rapidly pivoting toward Saudi Arabia. Somalia Today sources say President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will visit Riyadh in the coming weeks to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Riyadh has expressed “full support” for Somalia’s unity, viewing the UAE’s expanding influence—from Yemen’s Socotra island to the Somali coast—as a challenge to its regional security.
At an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji urged member states to “categorically” reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.
The cabinet’s assertive stance has drawn rare backing from Somalia’s opposition.
Former president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, who oversaw a similar diplomatic freeze in 2018 when his administration seized Emirati cash at Mogadishu airport, welcomed the annulment.
“The people and government of Somalia have a duty to protect the nationhood and independence of Somalia,” Farmaajo said in a statement.
However, he warned that confronting external pressure would require healing internal rifts, urging the government to prioritize inclusive elections as President Mohamud’s mandate nears its end in four months.
It remains unclear how the federal government will enforce the ban in semi-autonomous regions like Puntland and Somaliland, where local authorities maintain deep economic and security ties with the UAE and rely on Emirati investment for critical infrastructure.
Abu Dhabi has not yet commented on the withdrawal or the annulment of the agreements.
