Tensions have been escalating between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Mogadishu abandoned a military deal with Abu Dhabi and seized millions of dollars from an Emirati plane.
The developments come after months of tensions inside Somalia over the government’s neutral position with regard to the ongoing diplomatic crisis between a Saudi-led quartet and Qatar, AFP reported on Friday.
The first signs of tensions between Somalia and the UAE emerged in March after the Dubai-based DP World granted a 19-percent stake to Ethiopia in the Berbera port in breakaway Somaliland, which Somalia has not recognized as independent, Press TV reported
Given a historic animosity between Somalia and Ethiopia, Somali lawmakers adopted a resolution accusing the Emirati firm of having “intentionally violated the sovereignty of Somalia.”
On Sunday, Somali government stopped a suspicious Emirati airplane at the international airport in Mogadishu and seized $9.6 million in cash from the aircraft.
“The security forces noticed the suspicious bags and handed them over to the concerned departments,” Somalia’s security ministry said in a statement.
The UAE, in response, accused the Somali security forces of holding those on the plane “at gunpoint,” noting that the money had been allocated to support the Somali army.
“The current Somali government… is creating unnecessary tensions with a friend and an ally who supported the stability and security of Somalia during its hardest phases,” UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash tweeted.
On Wednesday, Somalia’s Defense Ministry announced it was taking over the command of hundreds of Somali troops who had been trained and paid by Emirati officials at a UAE-run military camp in Mogadishu.
“As a government, our responsibility is to take care of our armed forces and pay their wages and not to delegate that responsibility to others. We thank the UAE for the training and relentless support it provided,” Defence Minister Mohamed Mursal said.
The president of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo and leading delegates are going to Saudi Arabia to be with leaders from Arab nations and contributing Arab league meeting in Riyad, capital city of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is expected to mediate Somalia and UAE which is significant ally for Saudi Arabia, Radio kulmiye reports.
